Privatization is Good for the Economy

Hello folks. I'm sorry to say that after two years of blogging without trouble, I have decided to make my blog private. I have a few creepers who have been leaving comments in some kind of kanji-looking symbols, and the fact that I can't read them or that I don't know the readers just gives me the willies. So, at long last and with great disappointment, I feel like I must privatize.

Please leave a comment with your email addresses so I can add you to the list; I'd love to have everyone with good intentions be able to view my blog and post comments. I hope none of you friends will be put off by my privatization because I think accessability is a key feature for a blog. I'll be happy to send you invitations and I plan to make the switch on August 1.

Summer Blog Drought, The Sequel

Summer equals craziness! It's good craziness, though, so I won't complain about my serious lack of documentation of all our events. Since I last posted, we moved to Lehi, Karli turned 4, Adam turned 31, and Case started sitting and scooting. We've had out-of-town family here for a month and a half (YAY!) so we've been spending lots of time in Alpine to take advantage of every moment of playing with cousins (the kids), hanging out with siblings (Adam), and doing projects with relatives (me). It's hotter than hot and I'm starting to feel like an old lady who only prefers 75-degree weather all the time. Here's to a hootin', hollerin' rest of the summer!

Happy Fourth Birthday, Karli!

Karli is now a big girl, no longer considered a toddler in the medical world. She was so excited to have her birthday and was convinced that Tinkerbell flew into her room at night to turn her into a four-year-old. We had a Little Einsteins birthday party for her and all of her grandparents, aunties, uncles, and cousins made it a wonderful day for our sweet, darling Kar-Kar.

Karlos wanted a rocket cake, so I asked if she wanted vanilla or chocolate inside. She emphatically told me she wanted red velvet, so I had to experiment and struggle with making a red velvet cake that was tender yet sturdy. It turned out to be pretty good and Karli was thrilled.

Karli was excited to get so many fantastic gifts. Thank you, everyone!

The big girls helped the little kids put together the puzzle to see where the treasure was hidden.

The kids had a "mission" like those on Little Einsteins; they had to use photo clues to find puzzle pieces around the yard. Then, they had to assemble the puzzle to see the picture of where the treasure was hidden. I think they had fun, but toward the end, we lost a few.

My super-adorable, loving Karli in her birthday dress.

Happy birthday, Karli! We love you so much and appreciate your sense of humor, your sweetness, your strength, and your talents. We are thrilled to have you in our family!

Our New Place

Now that we are in our thirties, we're thrilled to be able to say we no longer live with our parents. We moved to Lehi this week and it's so handy to live only a block from the gym where I coach. It's a farily nice neighborhood with TONS of kids (our ward has three nurseries and four Sunbeam classes), and we know we'll only be here for a bit.

I'm having fun decorating our little abode on a shoestring budget (gotta love temporary digs) and my kids really like being able to choose their decor. This is the first time since we've had children that they have closets and dressers separate from mine and Adam's, so we all love that. All in all, we like it here and we're glad to be moving toward a more permanent housing situation.

Our Marine Returns from Afghanistan

Uncle Dave flew to Las Vegas after his tour in Afghanistan and we got to meet him at the airport. We were all excited to see him and thankful that he made it home safely. He is in the Marine Corps but does intelligence business (scary stuff), so we were glad he didn't get hurt or taken. He is our hero and we appreciate his and Maren's and Libby's and Kya's sacrifices so Uncle Dave can serve America.

Waiting and waiting for Dave to walk down the hallway.

Attack! The kids couldn't wait to see Uncle Dave.

Cooper and Rex wore their Marine Corps shirts, and Amber and Gracie sported some yellow-ribbon tank tops I threw together at the last minute. Karli, always the individualist, passed on hers, and Case had a darling onesie on that I made that says, "USMC. Your best friend. Your worst enemy." They looked adorable if I do say so myself.

For a bunch of Clarks, we put on quite the spectacle. Leslie had this sign made and everyone who walked by noticed!

Cooper, Gracie, Rex, Amber, Karli, and Dave.

Angels and Airwaves Concert

Adam and I hit the town last night for a fun date. We decided that if Adam passed the Bar exam, we'd buy tickets to see Angels and Airwaves at the Venue downtown. We met Derrick and Leslie at Settebello for some awesome caprese and Napolese pizza (Adam didn't like it at all, but I loved it). Then, we booked it past the homeless shelter to the old, dumpy building that used to be Bricks dance club. The concert was great!

The lead singer of AVA is the ex-lead-singer of Blink 182.

He's a great entertainer.

We escaped with only minor annoyances, like the drunken idiot who spilled his drink all over Adam's legs and new shoes, and while the music was pleasantly loud, I didn't have the metal stupor that I contracted after Metallica, meaning I could actually hear Adam speak on the way home. It was a fabulous evening. Rock on!

Snow in May

No. I am not joking. I went to buy a shaved ice the other day, and this is what I saw. A quilt. Several coats. My nose was running because I was so cold. Then, it snowed yesterday. Yep...three inches of snow on my car when I went outside. Boo.

I'm Succeeding

Tony Horton is my new fitness guru! I really love P90X and recommend it to anyone who is thinking about trying it. The workouts fly by; I can't believe how quickly the time passes and before I know it, I've been sweating and challenging my body for an hour. I always feel wiped out, but in a good way, when I finish a workout and I LOVE IT!
This is the beginning of my third week and I'm starting to get compliments on my figure. Yay! I also noticed that after four days of working out and eating properly, I could fit into my jeans much easier than before. I think I'm almost on the verge of establishing a work-out habit, too, because I actually crave the exercise every day. Hooray for finding something to get me off my lazy duff and make me feel good. Yeah, baby!

A Proud and Glorious Day, Indeed

Adam G. Clark is officially an attorney. Wahoo! We all met at the Salt Palace today to watch Adam take the oath and be sworn into the Utah courts. We are so proud of him! It was a long and sometimes rocky road, but all his hard work and dedication paid off. Adam's determination inspires me every day and I'm glad I get to be married to such a dashing, smart man. Way to go, Mr. Clark, Esq. We love you!

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!