Tylor Gets His Cast Off

Tylor got his cast off this last Monday, and he was so excited! His arm has healed perfectly, and he has been such a trooper through it all - not even hardly a complaint. Hopefully it will be awhile before our next broken bone around here!

Lessons From a 2-Year-Old

I am constantly realizing that I learn more from my kids than they learn from me, so here are some of the things I have learned lately from my youngest (Jaymon):

1. It is not important to have your clothes match - or to even wear clothes for that matter!

2. POCKETS are a must if you are leaving the house!

3. Everyone deserves a big hug and smile when they get home.

4. Cuddling is the best way to go to sleep.

5. Sometimes we need to give ourselves "Time-Out".

6. Macaroni and Cheese can be eaten EVERY day.

7. Life is too short to stay mad more than 20 minutes.

8. ANYWHERE can be a grand adventure.

9. It is good to play outside everyday.

10. A kiss and a hug can make most things better.

Jury Duty

So, last Monday I had to report for Jury Duty at 8 a.m. sharp. This meant leaving at 7:20 so I could get all the way downtown and park. I arrived on time and sat around for over an hour with the other 270 or so lucky people who had been called in. We were divided into 3 groups for the 3 judges hearing cases and sent to our courtrooms. My group actually waited in the hall for another half hour or so before we were let into the courtroom. We were seated on some long wooden benches (with no padding), and crammed close together so all 70+ of us could fit. Then the fun began! The lawyers got to ask us all sorts of questions and then everyone would reply. This lasted for about 2 hours until we were allowed a lunch-break. Being 30 weeks pregnant, I was SO uncomfortable by then! My legs were falling asleep and everything hurt. After having lunch and walking around, I felt much better. Of course, then I had to go back in for "Round 2" of questioning. This round lasted for 3 hours, and I was seriously about to cry I was hurting so badly by the end of it. Luckily, I was not one of the 12 people chosen to sit on the jury and I was so relieved! This trial was for a man accused of strangling his girlfriend until she passed out and forcing entry into her home. They expected the trial to last for about 4 days, and I just couldn't figure out how I could sit through 4 days of court, not to mention what would I do with my 5 children? Most of the kids were sick last week too, which would have made things even more interesting if I had been gone. The Jury Selection process was interesting, but I strongly feel that I need to be spending my time here at home taking care of these kids right now. I will not shirk my duty when I am asked, but I am glad I was not asked to do more this week. Maybe at a later point in life I will be asked to do Jury Duty again and will be able to do it without hesitation or complaint, but for now I am so grateful that my prayers were answered! Perhaps I am selfish and should complain less, but this is my honest report on my experience (for whatever it is worth!). :)

TylorTurns 11

We celebrated Tylor's 11th birthday last week. He had a Sports Party and played football, soccer, and basketball with about 10 of his friends. We also fed them all pizza and cake (I made him a basketball cake). It all turned out pretty well and I think Tylor enjoyed himself.

Tylor's Broken Arm

This is a silly picture of Tylor, but it shows off his broken arm (and sometimes goofy personality), so it will do the job! Tylor was running outside about 2 weeks ago and somehow tripped and fell. He landed just right on his arm to cause both the bones to start to buckle a little above his wrist. We thought it was probably just sprained or something and so we didn't actually get an X-ray taken until the day after it happened. I know, we should be "Parents of the Year"! At least it is taken care of now. Three more weeks in the cast, and then Ty should be as good as new!

It's A Boy!!!

Well, I had my doctor's appointment, and it is official that we are having another boy! I can hardly believe that I will be a mother to 5 boys and 1 girl, but I guess that is the reality of it! We are all excited (except for Coleton who was really mad that the baby is not a girl). It will be nice to have another boy since we are already in the "boy mode" anyway. Besides, these little boys are pretty dang cute! Our biggest challenge now will be choosing a name since we have used up all our boy names already, but I am sure we will come up with something (I would feel bad if his name was Baby Boy Clark forever!). :) So, about 4 more months and then I can post some pictures of the little guy!

Clark Family Gathering - Winter 2008

It has become a tradition with Taylor's side of the family to get together every year for a few days after Christmas up at the condos in Eden, Utah. It is a great opportunity to see everyone, and a lot of fun. Here are some pictures of the good times we had!


Tubing and Skiing at Snow Basin
































































Family Dinners, Home Evenings, and Gifts from Taylor's parents



These are all the girls (except Greg standing in for his wife who couldn't come) in our new aprons from Coleen.











Family Talent Show














Greg doing push-ups with all the kids on top, JayDee and Coleen enjoying all the chaos, Taylor and his brothers doing their "whistling"...










Jaymon doing "tricks", T.J. doing his cool arm moves, Coleton doing gymnastics, Tylor and Taylie playing the piano, and the cousins all singing together...











































































Bowling with the Whole Family (even Grammie and Grandpa!)















































Making Snowmen out of Donuts