I'm Committing

Well, after secretly bashing it in my head for months, I finally decided to give P90X a try. Leslie bought the DVDs on KSL.com (my new favorite website) and we set out on a mission to get us some hot bodies. Today is my first day and the chest and back workout was brutal. I loved it, though, because I really felt exhausted afterward. I'm excited to see how this body project will turn out. Hopefully, I'll be smokin' hot and back into my pre-pregnancy jeans soon!

Never, Ever Again!

I've been thinking about renting a booth at a local craft boutique for quite some time, and after encouragement from Leslie and Stephanie, I finally bit the bullet. I had a half-sized booth at the Mother's Day Holy Cow Boutique at the Pleasant Grove Rec Center. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE! I'm glad I did it to see how my stuff measures up, but I don't think I"ll ever do it again. Between not wanting to spend a bundle of money and time on making products I wouldn't sell and visiting the rec center three times a day to check on my stock and pulling three all-nighters and not cooking for my family for a week, it was so not worth it.

It was great fun, however, to be able to enjoy some serious crafting time while Adam babysat endlessly (thanks, Superdad!), to let my creativity run wild with a can of spray paint, a Cricut Expression, the major power tools in the garage, and to hear the positive reactions my wares garnered from my adoring fans (Leslie, Stephanie, Shelley, and Lauren...thanks, ladies!). Here are a few of the goods in case you're interested:

Rex's Birthday 2.0

Rex's actual birthday was kind of a regular day, but filled with lots of treats, movies, playing outside, and...oh yeah...nursery. Rex HATES it! I had to stay in with him clinging to my leg the entire time. Aside from the trauma caused by seven other two-year-olds trying to eat each other's fruit snacks and simultaneously playing with the same toy, I'd say Rex's second round of celebrations was good.

Rex is such a cute little guy who is definitely spunky and hilarious. He loves to tell me "Hi, Daddy!" just to see me react and emphatically state "I'm mama!" He speaks very well and is using sentences now. He can sing "I am a Child of God" and the "Think Song" from "My Friends Tigger and Pooh". He's really big on motorcycles, fire trucks, cars, and airplanes, which I love. Yes, he still has a major obsession with golf, and we adore our Rexy-Roo-Roo. Happy birthday, little buddy!

The blue clogs were a gift from my mom. At first, Rex wouldn't get near them. When I told him they were Superman shoes, though, he put them on his feet and hasn't taken them off since!

My handsome little birthday dude.

Rex's Birthday Celebration, Version 1

You know us Clarks...we can't celebrate a birthday on just one day. We love to string out the parties and special treatment as long as we can. Hence, Rex got to blow out the candles on his Lightning McQueen birthday cake yesterday when everyone was here. He loved it! He learned how to sing "Happy Birthday to You" a few weeks ago, so he was extra-excited to sing to himself.

Originally, I planned to make a BOR-ring white layer cake with a McQueen toy car on top, but late on Saturday night, Adam convinced me that it "wouldn't be that hard to make a red rectangle car" for Rex's cake. Eventually, I agreed and decided on Sunday morning to pull out the stops and go for the cool cake. Since I didn't have all the supplies I needed (like black food coloring, etc.), I had to improvise, but I think it turned out pretty well. The thing I loved most about it is that Rex recognized Lighting, even when the cake was in the crumb coat phase. He was so excited and screamed out "Kachow! Lightning!". That made the panic and 4-hour baking/decorating spree worth it.

If I make this cake again, I'll definitely cut away the bottom of the front of the car. He ended up looking a bit more like Mater than Lightning, but oh well.

The kids all got a kick out of the cake, so it was fab.

Here's the cute birthday boy!

He loved it!

Thanks to Angela, Rex enjoyed every bite.

Rex is having a great birthday week, so there will definitely be more to come as far as birthday blogging goes. Let the party begin!

Blessing Day

Today, Adam blessed Case at our house. It was special to have Grandpa Smith here to stand in the circle, since Case is named after him. Ryan's family, Kristi's family, the Larsen family, Allison and Dusty, my parents, my sisters, and Grandpa and Lorna joined us for dinner and the blessing, and it was a great way to spend the evening. We are happy that everyone made the effort to be here. Thanks everyone!

Case was a good boy during his blessing.

Case, Adam, and Grandpa Smith...three great guys!

Four generations: Case, Adam, Leslie, Grandpa Smith

Eight is Great!

Today is Adam's and my eighth anniversary. It is crazy to think that when we got married, our oldest niece was only four years old, my youngest sister was ten, and we were both skinny...he he. What a great life I've had since I married Adam. It is grand to be married to my best friend, to have a partner through all of life's ups and downs, and to have a counterpoint that brings out the best in me. I love Adam dearly and am thrilled to be able to spend eternity with him. Happy Anniversary, Adam. You are the best!

A Hard Day's Night

Rex LOVES playing outside. It's been great to let him run around, climb, throw things, explore, and jump. Best of all, it wears him out. He couldn't even make it to bed the other day; he just came inside and colapsed on the couch. Yay for awesome yards and little boys!

Big Boy

Case is growing fast and learning all sorts of new things. He can hold his toes, take off his socks, roll from his back to his stomach, and babble up a storm. My favorites, though, are

smiling...

playing in his exersaucer...

and eating rice cereal.

He didn't love it at first,

but now he gulps it down!

Case is a joy! He's been a delightful baby and has adorable, kissable, chubby cheeks. His roly-poly arms and legs make me smile and we all love this little guy!

So Proud

Adam is my hero! His tenacity and dedication inspire me all the time. I'm thrilled to be married to such a wonderful guy who works hard to accomplish his dreams. I love him mucho!

Shenanigans

Lately we've tried to make the most of being cooped up inside while snow continues to fall outside. We've spent lots of time with my cute sister Angela...

...and Allison...
...and Rex discovered a new game: he runs around the house with his new "hat!" which is actually a box from Build-a-Bear Workshop. He peeks out the door, and when he doesn't want anyone to see him, he shuts it.

I know he shuts the door so he can do this behind it...

Yuck! Regardless of the nasty habits occuring inside, though, he looks absolutely hilarious running around the kitchen and family room--like a little robot or creature--and he becomes hysterical if anyone removes his "hat". Hopefully it'll warm up soon so we don't all go crazy like Rexy has!

Case is a Thumb Sucker

This is a first among our children! The three older kids suck fingers, and at first we even thought that Case might be a pacifier baby. Much to my chagrin, though, he flouts the paci and found his thumb, which he loves. The thing I love about it is that he wraps his index finger around his nose most of the time. It's darling! I also love that Case has a method to self-soothe now, which makes my life much easier. He gets cuter every day, and I'm enjoying having an adorable, cuddly, squishy, little sweetheart who doesn't give me attitude!

Kissy, Kissy, Kissy!

The picture is terrible thanks to some baby drool on my camera lens, but the news is wonderful: Allison and Dusty are engaged! Dusty propsed yesterday and they were both beaming from ear to ear (okay, fine, they still are). We are super excited for these two; they are a perfect pair and Dusty is so sweet to my little sis. August 27, 2010 is the big day. Wahoo! My kids can't wait to have a new uncle and they already beg Dusty to chase them around the house and play all sorts of rowdy games that the parents are too tired to play. Of course, Dusty plays them and the kids love it! Congratulations to the future Mrs. Hunt and her soon-to-be hubby!

Hippity Hoppity Happy Easter

We spent Easter weekend at Grandpa Smith's condo in St. George and it was wonderful to be out of the snow for a few days. The Easter bunny found the kids, even though they weren't at home, and I enjoyed listening to General Conference and spending time with our families. We were able to play with Merrick, McKay, and Olivia (my sister Jennifer's kids) as well as lots of Harris and Withroder cousins at Steve and Laurie's house. Easter is my favorite holiday; I love the simple act of reflecting on Christ's life and the sacrifice he made for me. It was a fantastic weekend!

Rex scored lots of his favorite things...STICKS! He got a sword and a set of toy golf clubs, but they are all sticks to him. He's crazy about sticks.

Karli enjoyed her Lunchables that came in her Easter stash. Doesn't she make a darling daisy face?

Here is Amber modeling her Easter dress. I usually get very excited about making Easter dresses for my girls, but I wasn't this year. I was thrilled to find out General Conference fell on Easter this year and didn't feel one bit guilty about buying these cute frocks for $5 each at Ross.

The bunny skipped baskets, but still left some fun surprises for the kids. Happy Easter!

Take This Weather and Shove It

I AM SICK OF WINTER! I don't know why, but when I woke up this morning and saw snowflakes falling from the sky, I wanted to jump off a cliff. Okay, not really, but I was so mad! I am tired of cold! I am sick of having to keep my kids inside all day long! I dread having to run errands and be out and about with soaking wet feet, pant-leg bottoms, and hair that looks like I didn't even try to fix it. I love this weather in December, but in March? No thank you. I'm ready for it to be 60 or 70 degrees so Karli can ride her bike, Rex can play basketball, Case can swing outside, Amber can climb on non-furniture items, and I can get a boost of Vitamin D. Hurry up and get warm!

A Magical Week, Indeed

Hooray for Disney! We had a fabulous week in Orlando staying at the Disney All Star Sports resort and spending every waking hour basking in the glow and chaos of everything magical. Despite the major effort of hauling four small children around from plane to bus to stroller to bus to hotel and trying to keep track of one particular wandering four-year-old, things went remarkably well and we had the times of our lives!


Flight 1: SLC to Phoenix. We were late (of course) and after two trips to the ticketing counter and the security gate, we finally made it to our terminal and onto the jet way. Case was screaming, Rex was screaming, and since we're too cheap to pay to check baggage, both Adam and I were toting several bags and rolling suitcases, for which there was NO room. After bumping into every aisle passenger in 20 rows, we were finally in our seats and ready to rock. Thanks to constant feeding of Case and an incessant stream of candy for Rex, our kids were very well behaved and we made it to Phoenix with only a few enemies. Of course, though, we had to rush off the plane and run to our connecting flight, for which we were also late, and went through the whole process again.


Flight 2: Phoenix to Orlando. Is it a bad sign when all three people in front, two to the side, and all three people behind us are drinking? I think so! For the most part, the kids were fine, but for about 30 minutes when we began the descent, Rex and Case both cried and whined with no stopping, thanks to their ear infections. Eventually, though, we made it to Florida and boarded the "magical, sparkly bus!" to the hotel. Hooray! The girls loved watching the movie about Disney World as we rode from the airport to the hotel and it was delightful to hear them laughing and squealing with excitement.



Once we settled in to our cool basketball hotel (everything at Disney World is magical and completely over-the-top), the kids went wild jumping from bed to bed, Rex kept peeking out the window and shrieking "baskuh bawl!" and we finally drifted off to sleep. The next day was great; we sat by the pool, took naps, and I did a bunch of administrative stuff for the cheer competition. Thursday and Friday were plagued by the worst rainstorms I've ever seen, and after spending Thursday at Magic Kingdom trying to brave the weather, I was amazed to see how much water human feet can actually absorb. Disgusting! Thanks to the 96% humidity, my clothes from Thursday didn't dry until we were safe and sound in Utah, but we took advantage of Friday's crummy weather to practice with our teams and have a makeshift birthday party for Amber.

Case loved being nudie by the pool and all the ladies loved him.

Amer and Karli were thrilled to meet Belle, but even more thrilled that, according to Amber, "Case got his first true love's kiss on the forehead from Belle! And she left lipstick on him!" It was adorable.
Aurora told the girls that Prince Phillip loves to ride roller coasters, which eased Amber's aggravation that Adam took her on one prior to meeting the princesses.

The teacups were Karli's favorite ride, so we all took several spins.

Adam and Amber spinning madly.

"It's a Small World" is still a great ride. The kids loved it.

Ariel was so sweet to the girls. They couldn't believe they got to meet "the real Ariel".

All that rain worked wonders on our hair, and Ariel politely told my mom "you have lovely hair. Do you use a dinglehopper?"

It was the first time I've ever bought a cake from the grocery store for my kids' birthdays (it was nasty!), so I kind of felt like Amber got the shaft, but hey, she was at Disney World, so how bad could it be, right? She was so excited and loved the little Cinderella and Fairy God Mother characters atop the shortening-laden confection. Hannah, Mette, Allison, Angela, Marianne, and my mom all came over to sing and have cake, and the kids all loved the party horns so I think the party was a success. We tried our hardest to get everyone settled down for the night at a decent hour since my girls had to be awake, fed, and ready for their competition at 7:00 a.m. (which really felt like 5:00 a.m. to us mountain-time-zoners), but that plan failed miserably and the last one was sound asleep by 11:30 p.m.

Morning came too soon and before we knew it, my team of darling little gals and I were on the bus to the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. The girls did great considering the circumstances, and aside from Karli's major meltdown and refusal to perform, I was proud of their efforts. They got to compete twice, which was fabulous because the initial performance (sans Karli) was pretty much a disaster. They got to watch the routine on a replay screen afterward and I didn't have to say anything--two of them pointed out "we look terrible!" and they knew what they had to do. Performance numero dos was 100% better and totally adorable. Adam saved the day and talked (and fed) Karli into participating during the second half of the competition and that helped us remarkably. Unfortunately, I don't have video or photos since I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, but I was completely proud of my sweet little team and very grateful to Stephanie, Allison, and Micah who all helped me out beyond measure. Of course, though, Adam was the best. He's so wonderful to help and put up with all the craziness. I was relieved and thrilled all at the same time. Go Flash Twinkles!

This is the only competition photo I have; Amber and Karli looked so adorable!

The rest of the week was awesome and we had so much fun meeting princesses, tasting food from all over the world, watching parades and fireworks, and being what seemed like the spectacle of Florida with our brood of little kids. We truly had the vacation of a lifetime and I'm beyond happy that we were able to take our whole family to have such a fun week. Adam and I were really exhausted by the time we made it home at 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday. We have a whole new appreciation for our our parents who took us on family vacations when we were young. Hopefully we'll be able to take our family to Disney World again sometime, because it was amazing!

Stitch and Stitch

Karli meeting Leo from Little Einstiens was one of my favorite moments. She was so excited to show Leo that she wears glasses, too.

Rex really liked the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" playground.

The Clarks on the bus go waaah, waaah, waaah!

The cozy front pack is where Case spent 95% of the vacation. He hates it now!

Adorable.

Also adorable.

Please tell me this is the creepiest thing you've ever seen. Why don't you just write "Hey, sex offenders: stop here first!"

My daughters love princesses.

New, darling, and waaay over-priced sunglasses, but worth it. It was a grand experience!