Running for Recovery and Remembering Hayden

Today was a good day: I ran in my first race! It was fun and I did better than I thought I would. I'm not much of a runner, but since I started P90X, running has become more enjoyable for me because I'm stronger in the cardiovascular department. I ended up coming in 43rd overall, with a time of 34 minutes. I was happy with those results!

As part of the Utah Substance and Alcohol Recovery Awareness Day in Salt Lake City, a bunch of my family members ran the 5K race in honor of my cousin, Hayden, who died a year ago today of a drug overdose. I was glad to be able to support people in recovery because, since Hayden died, I've gained a better understanding how important it is to overcome the harmful habit of using drugs. We all miss him dearly, and because his death was personal to me, I'm even more vocal now about saying no to drugs and alcohol. I felt like the activities of the morning were a great way to remember Hayden's life and the importance of staying healthy and drug-free.

Sean and Vanessa (Hayden's dad and stepmom), Mary Ann (Hayden's mom), Preston, Bella, Hunter (Hayden's siblings), Karen (Hayden's grandma), Jane and her husband, me, my mom, Skyler and Casey, and Tanner (cousins and aunties) all ran along with about 600 other runners. The course was beautiful; we started at Gallivan Center and ran up State Street to North Temple. Then, we ran a block east and up the hill through Memory Grove. The weather was brisk, the sun was shining, and the trees were just beginning to show some yellow. It was perfect! Then, we turned around at the top of the hill and ran back down the route. It was a nice run.

At the finish line, we enjoyed some of Mary Ann's gourmet granola in delicious yogurt parfaits. Then, we rocked out to a show by Pink Stilettos. The crowd was groovin' and everyone had a great time. When the girls sang "Beautiful Heart", a song that my sister Angela wrote about Hayden, there wasn't a dry eye in the audience. It was really touching and I think the song had special meaning to the attendees who are in recovery and who have lost loved ones to drug addiction and alcoholism. It's really a beautiful tune; click here if you want to listen to it.

I am thankful to have a healthy body, to be able to run in a gorgeous setting while reflecting on all the good things Hayden did in his life, to spend a special morning with some dear family members and friends, and to support people who are trying to make their lives better and recover from bad decisions they've made. I'm thankful to know that Christ atoned for the bad decsions we all make in our lives and that He made it possible for us to be together after we die. Families are forever!

I loved Mary Ann's Sharpie tattoo: HH for Hayden Housel.

Bella and Skyler before the race. We'll see if they're smiling at the end. He he.

Skyler, Jolyn, Hunter, Bella, Sean, and Vanessa waiting for the race to begin.

Preston, Hunter, Skyler, and Mary Ann before the race.

Shelley, Sean, and Nat during a warm-up chat.

Here's Bella at the finish line. Yep...still smiling! She's adorable.

Mary Ann and Hunter finishing the race.

Finishing my first race in my humongous t-shirt. Yay!

Hunter, Sean, and Grandma Karen cross the finish line.

This food was the prize at the finish line. Mary Ann is a magnificent cook and her granola was to die for!

Someday I'll run as well as my mom. She's an awesome runner!

Kindergarten!

Amber ventured off into the world today on her first day of kindergarten. She was so excited and so were we; her fits of boredom at home told us loudly and clearly that it was time for her to spread her wings and have an academic adventure. She completed her first homework assignment this morning before school and loaded up her leopard-print backpack and was ready to rock!

Adam called her right before school to wish her good luck.

Here she is modeling her cute little outfit that she picked out.

Five girls in her class have this backpack, but only Amber's is blinged out. It looks so cute in person, but as usual, the photo doesn't do it justice. In case you can't see it, it says "Amber" in rhinestone script. The Bedazzler makes everything better!

When her teacher came outside and blew the whistle, Amber dashed to her line and was all set. She happily marched right into her classroom and yelled out, "Bye Mom!" and never looked back. It was funny to see how tall she is; there is only one girl taller than her and she's the same height as the tallest boy in her class. She was so cute and confident. She made me proud! I'm glad she likes it.

Mrs. Allison Hunt

Doesn't that have a nice ring to it? My little sister, Allison married Dusty Hunt on Saturday and it was a grand occasion. I was hoping all through her mission that she'd marry him; they dated for ten months before she left and I thought she was nuts to dump him and go on a mission. Fortunately, Dusty waited for her and now they are hitched! He's a marvelous guy and I'm glad to have him for a brother-in-law. Moreover, he makes Allison so happy. I'm glad I got to be a part of their special day.
It was fun to have all of my siblings together for the occasion. Can you tell we're related? I just love the humongous drool spot on my shoulder thanks to a teething Case. That's my new trademark!
Amber counted down the hours to Allison's wedding. Every day, she'd ask if "today was the day". I don't know why she was so excited because she has a major crush on Dusty, and we kept telling her that after the wedding, he'd be off the market. We couldn't dash her hopes, though. I guess she was thrilled to be able to wear her cute little tutu and she got lots of mileage out of it on the dance floor.

Here are most of the nieces and nephews with Al and Dusty. They all looked adorable! Too bad their painstakingly-selected clothes were soiled with melted chocolate only moments after the festivities began. We couldn't keep them away from the chocolate fountains long enough to get a clean picture. Oh well...what are parties for, right?

Here's the newly-wedded Hunts. The same sealer performed their ceremony as mine and Adam's and my sister Jennifer and her husband's, so that was cool.

Get a room. Geez. He he. I loved Allison's retro-inspired wedding dress and veil.

Check out all these babes! I made the headbands that the bridesmaids wore and they turned out to be oh, so sassy if I do say so myself. They were complete with a tulle flower, rhinestones, retro netting, and a peacock feather. Yowza! Their teal shoes were darling, too. Too bad they got cut out of the photo!

I think, though, that my Grandma Rydalch was the cutest gal there. Here's her grand exit from the temple along with my Auntie Julie:

My assignment was to decorate the entrance to the garden room. I collected frames from Goodwill and D.I. and spray painted them (my wonder-fix for any decor problem!) so I could add the amazing photos that Dusty's sister took. It was fun to have my own little area to fix up. Leslie saved the day, too, by offering her help and lots of her adorable items.

The reception was at Highland Gardens and it looked fabulous! I had never been there before and I was dazzled when I walked in. The photos just don't do it justice.

Here's me, pre-drool. I made the "HUNT" sign for them to put in their house and thought it was a nice touch at the entrance.

We all worked like crazy for four months to make the reception fabulous...and it worked! Everyone had a great time, the food was marvelous, the entertainment was good, and the decor looked amazing. Allison and Dusty were such a cute, cheesey, lovey-dovey couple, and I'm glad they have each other forever. Yay for marriage!

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!