"Wow Mommy, that's a whole lot of wishes!"

So I noticed this week there has been a whole lot of cotton-like seeds blowing around from the cottonwood trees around the neighborhood. There are so many it looks like a light layer of snow on the ground at times! Much to the dismay of my allergies (albeit minor allergies, annoying all the same). I was thinking how obnoxious all this cotton flying around was when I hear my four year old son chime in "Wow Mommy, that's a whole lot of wishes!" He was convinced they were from someone making wishes blowing the seeds of dandelions and there was no convincing him otherwise! Leave it to a child to see things through rose colored glasses. I'm so grateful for the many lessons I learn from my children every day.

Memorial Day Dedication

This is dedicated to my Grandpa Thomas (my Mothers Father) and all those who have gone before us; He wrote this many years ago and served in the Army during World War 2.  He was a great poet and this is one of many he wrote.

Memorial Day

"That these dead shall not have died in vain!"

Do you recall Lincoln's phrase?

Those deathless words he uttered

in those dark and dreadful days?

And those dead that day of whom he spoke

are not the only ones,

For since that day at Gettysburg

we've given many sons.

To appease the hungry God of war

when he rears his ugly head

Claims as his price, the sacrifice,

of all the wounded and the dead.

The tyrants of the world decreed

and tried to justify,

That if we'd save our way of life

many men must die.

And so we have Memorial Day

to pay a portion of our debt

To those who gave their very lives

and whom sometimes we forget.

A day set aside in memory

of our dear departed sons,

Who fought the foe that threatened us

and faced the violent guns.

They did not choose a hero's death,

nor did they falter when it came.

They faced the future hopefully,

they sought not name or fame.

When they were young and dreaming dreams

it wasn't figured in their plan,

To sacrifice their precious life,

but each faced it like a man.

So  in memory we've named this day

to pay homage once again.

To decorate--to consecrate--to pray

that they did not die in vain.

                                    -Jess Thinkun -

                                         (Kenneth Thomas)

Cakes I've made over the years..........

As far back as I can remember I've enjoyed baking from the time I was big enough to help my Mom in the kitchen.  She encouraged my love for baking even more by signing me up with 4-H cooking classes and was even my teacher at one point.  I don't claim to be a master baker by any stretch of the imagination, but I do enjoy it none the less.  Some years ago I decided I wanted to learn the art of cake decorating.  I consider myself artistic and thought this would be a good outlet for me.  Mind you I've never taken any classes so most everything I've learned is from watching others or reading up on the internet.  Recently I starting using fondant which I have a love/hate relationship with.  I love how many different designs it allows you to come up with, but I hate how time consuming and somewhat exhausting it is to work with.  My next cake I think I'm going to try out what is called "frozen butter cream transfer".  I think it will be a lot easier than fondant but we will see.  Hope you enjoy these pics.  Kinda shows how my skills have gradually increased over the years, as well as the right tools too!  I am most definitely still learning! If you want a better description of the cakes click here.

Another upside of being a parent.....

Last night instead of just reading to Lyndsey with her helping me with just a few words here and there, I pointed to every word and had her sound out every word she could and was surprised how many she knew right off the bat without help.  Than some words that I helped her with, like "frog" for example, she recognized throughout the book and knew right away what the word was.  I was so amazed at her ability to turn her sounds into words that I gushed "Lyndsey you're READING!  I'm soooooo proud of you!" She was so proud of herself that she started jumping for joy and wanted to read more and more books and told me I had to buy her LOTS of books because she LOVES to read now!  
Too see her learn words and start to read is perhaps the most magical thing to witness as a parent.  It's truly a miracle and I'm so grateful for her wonderful teachers and the education system for helping her get this far!

Lyndsey with her very 1st School library book!

Reading to her brother Thomas

Clark Family Conversations with our children.....

Around here our children make us laugh almost on a daily basis.  I've been trying to write down some of the things they say that just crack us up.

 January 2011

Clark Family dinner conversation with a 6 year old girl:

Jeff: "Lyndsey eat your mushrooms they'll make you big and strong." Lyndsey: "Oh believe me I'm plenty strong! Haven't you seen me lift up Thomas?  (Points to her arm muscles and flexes her skinny little arms while her face turns bright red trying to make a muscle)  How could you not laugh at this kid?   

February 2011

Lyndsey has really been having a hard time with her brothers being sick and not her, not because she wants to be sick, but because she's mad that her brothers are getting so much more attention.  After they went to bed last night, her & I stayed up and watched a movie together and ate a bag of the yummiest popcorn ever drizzled with chocolate.....mmmm!  It was just a little bag but we sure loved it!  I try to make the most of the little moments I have alone with her as well as the boys.  I don't know how my Mom ever did it with seven children.  Dividing my time between them all without one feeling left out is nearly impossible it seems with my three, let alone seven.  Someone once said to me that it's not the quantity you spend with your children it's the quality of your time spent that really matters.

Conversation between Jeff & Lyndsey:

Lyndsey: "Daddy, Mommy bought pears!"

Jeff: (pretending to misunderstand her) "Hair?"

Lyndsey: "no pears!"

Jeff: "Hair??"

Lyndsey: No Daddy I said PEARS!"

Jeff: "Ohhhh! I thought you said HAIR!  I thought that would be silly of Mommy to buy hair!"  (joking around of course)

2/10/11

Thomas was upset when he had the stomach flu that he couldn't have his favorite breakfast, cereal & milk because the milk would upset his tummy.  After the worst of it seemed to be over he was allowed to have cereal again.  He than informed me later, in his matter fact voice "I feel good for cereal, but not for candy is all Mommy."  I'm so glad he has his priorities straight!

2/12/11

Thomas, still obviously sick, was not allowed to go to the neighbors house but Lyndsey who has not gotten sick was allowed to go.  Thomas insisted on telling me "I just feel like being sick that's all Mommy so I can go play ok?"  as if he somehow had control over being sick or not and he wasn't really sick it was just a show.  This through the high fevers, coughing, runny nose..... Yeah, I don't think so kid! lol!

2/15/11

Thomas has been coughing a lot so I give him a cough drop once in awhile.  He saw the package in my bathroom and said "Mommy can I have a gum drop?" lol!

A Birthday dedication to my best friend and husband......

For those of you who know Jeff you most likely know him as a sweet fun loving kind of guy who loves to joke around and talk shop. What you may not know about him may surprise you, but then again maybe it won't.

Jeff will do anything for anybody in their time of need.  Even a complete stranger.  I found out just recently he stopped to help a stranded family whose car wouldn't start.  He drove the Dad to his home not too far away to get their other vehicle so he could take his family home and be on their way out of the frigid cold weather, and he did this while he had our children in the car too.  You can be sure the family was very thankful. 

After a member of my family was recently divorced and now a single Mom to three kids, he has been there on numerous occasions at the drop of a hat, without question, at her aid.  Not only did that help her, but it made me feel so good to know that he cared about my family as much as I do.  Recently on our last visit to my Mom's home he helped clean out her computer and made it run more efficiently which makes a big impact on her as she runs her business online. 

Zach playing with his fave car on his new toy garage Jeff made

He also loves to do woodworking projects when he can.  Just recently he made a toy car garage for our youngest son Zach.  He knew how much it bothered me that Zach kept driving his toy cars on my Grandmothers antique piano.  So he built this garage (with help from his Dad) as a way to distract him from doing so.  The kids love it and I thought it was such a wonderful treat for them and it was made with love too! When he knows that I need some time to myself to get things done or I just need a break, he takes the kids to a play-land and lets them play for a few hours.  

He loves to fish, but rarely gets a chance too.  He loves to sing and sing LOUDLY I might add, and he's a great companion for any sporting event because he can project his voice like nobody I know.  He loves to blast the radio in his car when he's driving by himself and sing along, he loves watching action flicks but will also watch chick flicks with me too & yes I have caught his eyes tearing up in a few of them. He is a water tasting connoisseur and can tell you if your water filter needs replacing, seriously. He folds clothes neater than I do.  He has also been attending IT classes at CWI after being laid off several times as a diesel mechanic in the construction industry.  He is working his way towards a degree and hopes to be done very soon.  I am very proud of him for taking the risk of changing careers and choosing a field that he will truly enjoy working in and be able to provide for his family.  It hasn't been easy as we are both attending school together, but together is how we do things.  We are a "together forever" kind of family you know.  Jeff is my best friend and I can't imagine life without him.  He watches out for his family and make us all feel protected and taken care of too.  Together we have three beautiful children in whom he loves and adores.  I'm privileged to know him and anyone else who gets to know him, really know him, will agree too.

I love you honey!  Happy Birthday!