Google Reader

I have had a lot of you asking me about this. I only know about it because of Jane (thanks, Jane!) and it is fabulous! IT is Google reader. Like all of you, I have hardly any time to sit and read everyone's blogs, but find them so uplifting and fun that I make time, only to find out that most of you didn't have the time either therefor you didn't update your blogs. That is wher Google Reader comes in. If you go to your gmail account inbox (your gmail email) up at the top there is a little word that says Reader. Click on it. Then, click on add acount and add your favorite blog addresses. Then, instead of clicking on everyone's blogs to see if they are updated, just go back to Reader and it will tell you who updated and you can read their blogs on that page or click on them and it will take you there! (the only downfall is you can't read private blogs from Google Reader.) Anyways, there you go- that is how I find a few extra minutes to update my blog for all of you to read. Try it-

Prom 2008

Cauley is so cute- He asked me to prom- again- for the third time! (I had to say no last year because Tyli was still too little.) His choice of school dance to chaperon is prom because since more people are a little more dressed up, you would think they don't act as crazy. (supposedly.) Anyhow, we got a babysitter (thanks to my wonderful in-laws, Mike and Kathy!) and drove to Tempe for a night of excitement. We got to the Waterfront on Lakeshore Drive a little late, but we got there and jumped at the chance to be the ones to guard the "Hidden Cove." (Right by the back gate.) We moved a bench in front of it so we could sit next to the lake and still see everyone as they had to come by us to get their pictures taken. It was nice not having to listen to the music they were playing inside and see how awful the kids were dancing! We had a blast seeing a lot of Cauley's students and athletes all dressed up and eating the yummy desserts. I was still in shock at what some of the students actually wore! As a mother, there is NO WAY I would let my son take a girl who was wearing some of those dresses and Cauley and I both agreed it'll be a challenge to find something modest for Tyli to wear when and if Cauley ever lets her go on a date, let alone prom! I do have to say that J.M. (used initials so as not to offend) by far got away with the cheapest date for the night spending a whopping $16! (It cost $120 at the door for a couple to get in, but he ended up getting "hooked up" by a stuco member.) I think it's funny that he and his date ended up eating at Panda Express! We left a little after 11:30- WAY after my bedtime! Cauley and I were both starving so we found an Arby's before heading home. It ended up being a great time! Maybe next year I'll get dressed up for the big event like I did last time we went!

(Dallin took this picture of us before we left. He is a good photographer for a 4 year old!)

Clark Family Car Wash

On Saturday my car got a bath, a much needed bath, mind you! The boys just took off their shirts because they usually get soaked from helping Cauley wash the cars. I love watching this whole ordeal go down!

Fun idea

This was one of my fabulous ideas that I got out of a magazine. I made all my preschool kids a bracelet using jelly belly jelly beans and stretchy string. They turned out really cute, and the kids had a blast wearing and eating them. The only downfall was that they couldn't wear and eat them at the same time or their wrists became incredibly (and edibly) sticky! It was so much fun that I made bracelets for my little nephews in Georgia and also my sister in law and my other nephew who live here. I think these are worth making again, so if you have any requests, please let me know!

Our Other Blog

For those of you who don't know, Cauley has a seperate blog (long story) which contains pictures of my family at crazyclarkclan.blogspot.com. Check it out- he does an awesome job! I just haven't taken many pictures lately so there's not much to add- sorry!

Thankful Thursday

Lets see. I am very thankful for families! (Mine is the BEST!) I am so grateful for my little family of 5. Cauley is the best husband anyone could ever ask for, and my 3 wonderful children make me laugh and smile daily and are always amazing me with new things. Then there is my extended family- the Clarks and the Ruths. Anyone who knows the Clark family and all of Cauley's siblings know how awesome they are! There's Mike and Kathy (Mom and Dad), Cauley, Jennifer (who's married to Ryan with Brent, Mike and ...), Stephanie (who's married to Brad with Parker and Bryce), and then Jeff. I truly am grateful to have all of them in my life! On the Ruth side, there is Jim and Debi (Mom and Dad), Jeni (twin sister who's married to Luke with Carson, Colton, and Brooklynn), me, and then Scott. Wow- how did I end up with such supportive, loving, caring, wonderful, hard working, and amazing family?

Blessed

Sometimes I wonder why it is we are so blessed, but I know. We are children of a Heavenly Father who loves us indefinitly, that's why. There need not be any other reason!

Yesterday, we had to get out the door to our appointment with our favorite tax guy- Kent Ellsworth. (Cauley's uncle. Thanks, Uncle Kent!) Anyways, the car was driving "loose" and I just had to get there, so I did. When Cauley showed up, he noticed the flat tire first thing. By the end of our appointment, the tire was still only about 1/2 flat, so we decided to drive 1/4 mile down the road to a gas station and fill it up to see what would happen. However, by the time we got it to the gas station, the tire was completely flat. We started looking around for a tire store, and lo and behold, there was one right next door. It was a Discount Tire Store, which I had never been to one before. They immediately got to work for us, removing the screw I had run over, fixing the hole, and filling it back up with air. I think they were hurrying because our kids were running around the tire store being a little louder than their usual customers. Anyways, Cauley decided to take pity on the tire people and take the kids next door to the gas station for Slurpee's. As soon as he left, they finished our car. I was a little intimidated, thinking they might charge us a lot for fixing it, but the nice tire guy told me "No charge!" What! It said it was $104 for the big screw hole! Nope, they did it for free! AND, the gas station attendant only charged Cauley for 1 Slurpee! (She said she didn't care when Cauley told her what she did!) Does anyone else ever get this kind of "luck?" I truly feel like Heavenly Father is constantly watching over me and my family. I am so grateful for family and friends in my life who are constantly there for us in all situations. We truly are blessed!

I COULD take offense to that!

Have you ever had a moment with your kids- you know, the moment where you just can't take anymore? Well, yesterday we had one of those moments! McKade was so grumpy, Tyli wouldn't let me put her down without screaming, and Dallin insisted he had to eat AGAIN or he would die! (He had eaten literally ALL day!) Anyways, I tried to be the good mom, take a breath, and sing a hymn. (Better than yelling, right?) Well, McKade started yelling "Stop singing!" over and over again while covering his ears. I told him I like to sing because it makes Heavenly Father and Jesus happy. I started singing again to which he replied with a very grumpy face, "Stop singing! You are making Heavenly Father and Jesus so sad. You sound so bad! Stop singing! You sound aweful!" The only thing I could do was laugh after that. The really pathetic part is that he kept repeating himself- even after I stopped!

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. We sure did! The Easter Bunny brought us lots of unneeded candy and deoderant, fingernail polish, and coloring books. We went to Steph and Brad's Sacrament Meeting because they blessed their baby, Bryce. He is so adorable! (Pictures to come soon!) Afterwards, we went to Phil and Gloria Greer's house for a yummy dinner and then we finished our fun evening off by going out to see the cows and going for a ride on the new limo golf cart behing Brad and Steph's house. So much fun!

Thankful Thursday

Today, as usual, I am thankful for a ton of things. However, maybe because it's spring break, I am so very grateful for my husband, Cauley. I can't begin to express what an awesome person he is, but I'll give you a little glimpse as to why I love him so much.
I love it when he doesn't have to go to work and lets me sleep in- even if it's only until 7:30! I love that he thinks he has to make pancakes or waffles for the kids on his days off. I love that he is such a great teacher to his students. I love that those he coaches respect him so much, as they also know that he is an awesome person. I love that he works so hard at everything he does, and isn't afraid to go the extra mile. I love when he calls me from school during his prep hour, or whenever, especially when he calls to see how preschool went for the day. I love when he comes home and after putting everything down, he comes to me and gives me the nicest hugs and kisses. I love that he cooks dinner when I've had a tough day or am too tired, and he doesn't even complain about it! I love that he helps take care of the kids and dishes after dinner so I can clean the rest of the kitchen. I love watching him wrestle with the boys and somehow play with Tyli at the same time. I love that he doesn't mind changing REALLY stinky diapers for me! I love it when he doesn't let the kids treat me unkindly in any way. I love it when he does his church calling, as I know he has hardly any time to accomplish all that is expected and required. I love seeing him go out and serve and exercising his Priesthood Authority. I love it when he lets the kids come down on the field after a football game and run around and play in the ice. I love that he acknowledges his family when everyone goes to his games. I love how he tells me to go unwind by taking a bath and that he'll bring me ice cream while I am having some "me" time. I love it when he takes initiative and does the laundry. I love it when he lets me sleep and gets up with a child in the night, but don't love it so much when he pretends not to hear them. (I just kick him until he gets up!) I love it that he is so big and strong. I love it when he holds me in those big arms and just holds me. I love that he loves me unconditionally and tells me so any chance he gets!
I LOVE YOU, CAULEY!

Dallin's Talk

I love it when my kids get to give a talk in primary! Everytime Dallin has spoken, we have made sure he has his talk memorized, which after primary, he usually comes home and calls everyone he knows and gives them the talk. Cute. Well, needless to say, I was a very bad mom this week and didn't get his talk together until Sunday morning. OOPS! (Ok, so we were all sick all week long, but hey- my bad!) He did an awesome job memorizing it (thanks to 2:00 church!) and was ready to go. The microphones weren't working, which was an advantage point. However, when Dallin got to the picture of Jesus raising a child from the dead, instead of saying "Jesus raised people from the dead.", he said "He helped people from deadness." I just about lost it! I was glad nobody could hear him anyways. And for the record, I have NO idea where he came up with it!Great job Dallin! I love you!

Tuscon

We had a blast yesterday as a family! We kicked off our spring break by going to Tuscon yesterday morning. (If you're a Clark reading this, Tuscon CAN be fun!) We started off by going to the Reid park Zoo. What a blast! Yes, this zoo is smaller than the Phoenix zoo, but I love that you can get so much closer to all the animals and that you don't have to walk for hours in the sun just to see a tiger who is sleeping somewhere hidden in the tall grass. We stayed forever at the polar bear, watching him dive into the water and then under his exhibit, watching him swim around in the water. Another favorite was the flamingos. Why, I don't know. They were really pretty though! The kids thought it was fun in the bird exhibit hunting for birds (by hunting, I mean with their eyes, no weapons!). We found some of the coolest birds I have ever seen! Our other favorite exhibit was the otters. The younger otter was showing us all of his games, while the older one was a little more reserved and content to just swim around and lie on his raft.

By noon, we were starving so we headed over to the park and had a picnic lunch. Afterword, we let the kids play for a little bit on the toys. Tyli was ready for a nap, so we piled back into the car and headed for the Air Force Museum. We were so excited! Cauley has been wanting to do this for forever now, and so have the boys. We went inside, amazed at all the people who were there. We looked at the sign, and had decided we were only going to pay for the bone yard tours. (you get to go out on the runway and look at all the old planes and stuff. You can see some from the road and there are TONS of cool looking jets, planes, and army equipment!) However, when we got ready to pay, the young lady helping us was very short tempered with us and rudely informed us that we couldn't go out there. When we asked why, she almost yelled that it was closed. Cauley asked why, and she, VERY rudely, told us that it is always closed on the weekend. Being taken off guard from all the bad manners, we left. Dissapointed! We walked just outside to the fence and there were TONS of people out on the bone yard! WHAT!!!??? We don't get it, but they will be getting either a very bad review on line or over the phone! The boys cried as we left, and I could tell Cauley almost wanted to cry too. Dallin put it right by saying, "HOW RUDE! She was not nice!"

Anyways, we left Tuscon and decided to go see some good friends of ours- the Reynolds. We drove to Arizona City and stopped by for a few hours. McKade asked, as we got there if we could get out and have some fun. I told him he could have all the fun he could handle! (Which he did!) Jenn and Elliots's kids are getting so big! It was fun seeing them, as we don't get together very often anymore. And, by the way, I do have to say that Jenn is looking FABULOUS! A big thanks to the Reynolds family for letting us crash their Saturday afternoon!

When we were gassing up after leaving the Reynold's, McKade said, "I am so, so hungry. Mom, are you so, so hungry? Dallin, are you so, so hungry? Tyli is so, so hungry! (She was asleep!) Mom, tell Dad that we are so, so hungry!" (I think the poor little boy was starving!) So we went to Golden Corral and had dinner. It was a little more than what we normally spend, but we all got full and had a blast and enjoyed whatever it was that we wanted to eat! Afterwords, McKade told Cauley, "I am so, so full!"

All in all, it was a pefect way to start our spring break. We had a great time together, as we usually do!

Bugged

Generally, we are usually a pretty healthy family. This year, however, we have definitly been sick a LOT! Cauley has been fighting something nasty now for a week, as is McKade. Dallin started in on Monday, and Tyli got it Tuesday. Theirs is all a never ending runny sinus thing with a fever. On Wednesday afternoon, I got the fever (103.2!) and something aweful got my body. (It feels like somebody is poking me with a million needles whenever something touches my skin.) I still think I have an ear infection, as my ears are constantly throbbing now, but I will still play the wait and see game with them. However, I don't have the sinus stuff everyone seems to be consumed with, so that's good news! Preschool was cancelled all week because my kids had fevers, and will be next week because of spring break, so we should all have time to recover. However, I believe it is because of preschool that we are so sick this year. I have sent an endless supply of notes home to parents and even tried calling parents to come and get their sick kids from preschool (but of course they don't answer!), but one little girl keeps coming sick. Any suggestions?

"Those Who Hike Together, Stay Together!"

That is an actual quote said by a fellow hiker who also made it to the top. (I think she was trying to convince her boyfriend of that!) Cauley and I had an amazing adventure together on Saturday. We dropped the kids off at Grandma and Grandpa's and then headed to Apache Junction for a day of hiking. We hiked what is called FlatIron- the titanic looking part of the Superstition Mountains. I don't think hike is the right word. Maybe I should say we climbed the mountain, because we literally had to climb the mountain, using legs (of course!), arms, hands, feet, fingers, and even fellow hikers helped us up and down some very difficult, steep terrain. It was beautiful! This weekend marks the start of the wildflowers being in bloom, which was a nice touch for me. The entire hike was beautiful though, and I am so glad we did it! The first part was easy, just uphill walking with some occasional rocks to watch out for. It got progressively more and more difficult until my whole body was aching from moving only a few feet (straight up!) at a time. Once on top, looking down over the entire Phoenix area, it hit me- we also had to go back down! Going down was more difficult for me. (I think I have an ear infection, which totally threw off my center of gravity so whenever I leaned forward, I fell.) We were so exhausted once we got to the bottom, we just wanted to sleep, so we went and got pizza instead. Once we were all home again and the kids had had a bath and were in bed, I took a long hot bath and discovered many battle wounds. My legs look like I played soccer without shin guards and my ankle which I twisted a little is bruised and a little swollen, not to mention my hands, which feel raw and the fact that my body hurts in places it never has before. Cauley, the poor guy, came home sick on Friday from school and slept all day. He still wanted to hike, but I thinks he's rethinking that now, as he's still feeling miserable! (Not to mention that he's sore too, especially his hips.) Altogether, I am so glad we did it! Now, I will NEVER do it again, but at least I can say I've hiked to the top of the Superstition Mountains! Cauley was an amazing person to hike with; so encouraging, helpful, and uplifting. I am so grateful that he is so patient with me and that he shared this experience with me! I love you Cauley! Thanks for the good time yesterday!

My Little Cooking Monster

Tyli, you are supposed to bake with them, silly girl!

Thankful Thursday Part 2

It's still Thursday, and I have something else I am really thankful for today- the fact that

the new Super target is finally OPEN!!!

Esther and I went today, along with our kiddos, and I just have to say- they have some pretty cool carts!

Thankful Thursday

I love this! However, I have way too much to be thankful for! Today I am going to say I am thankful for blogging. Silly? Oh no! I don't talk to anyone in my family ever (except for my identical twin, of course!) and I hardly ever see some of my friends who live farther away, and for those who I see weekly at church or the park or just around, it's still fun to see pictures and hear your thoughts on things! This is my only means of communication, people! Seriously- I NEVER know what's going on in Idaho except for with my sister's family, and I hardly ever see Cauley's family, especially the Johnson's who live way too far away! I really have never seen my new nephew who is at least 6 weeks old now, right, Steph? I really am greatful for those who update their blogs so I can know what's going on in everyone's lives! I know it's hard because we have so many other things we should be doing. I am making it my personal goal to post more pictures of my kids so I can share their adorable faces with you. (That means I gotta take more pictures too!)

A Little pick-me-up for all you mothers

"To you women with small children, yours is a tremendous challenge! So often there is not enough money. You must scrimp and save. You must be wise in your expenditures. You must be bold and strong and brave and march forward with a gladness in your eye and love in your heart! How blessed you are, women. You have a child(ren) who will be yours forever. I hope that you appreciate that your family has been sealed to you and will be an everlasting family in the Kingdom of our Father! May you have the strength to carry your heavy load, to meet every obligation, to walk side by side with your good and faithful and caring man, and together with him, rear, nurture, and bring up your child(ren) in righteousness and truth. Nothing else you will ever own, no worldly thing you will ever acquire will be worth so much as the love of your child. God bless you dear, dear young mothers!"
-President Hinckley, General Conference 2003 (October)


I found this today while I was cleaning out something in Tyli's room. Cauley had hand written it for me as a reminder of our prophet's love and concern for us as young mothers. I remember when this talk was given at the Relief Society Broadcast and how it brightened my day. I hope it lifts your spirits as it does mine!

Tagged

A.The rules of this game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the question about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, and then leaves a comment on their blog letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog to get the directions.

Questions:

5 Things on my list of things to do today:
*shower, *get myself ready for church, *get the kids ready for church (that alone should count as 5!), *go to church, *make lasagna for dinner
Things I would do if I suddenly was a Billionaire:
*buy a bigger house, *buy a new truck for Cauley, *set aside $ for a new car for me, *purchase a years supply of food and anything else we've been asked to have in case of an emergency, *buy new sandals for my boys and new shorts for Dallin so he isn't sporting the "70's look" anymore!, *SAVE!!!
3 of my bad habits:
*I also chew the skin on my lips, keeping them nice and chapped, *I don't fold my laundry right away after it comes out of the dryer- I also don't put it away once it is folder and that is why all my clothes are forever wrinkled and my favorite product is Downey wrinkle releaser!* I don't express my feeling very well. I don't tell people how I am feeling like saying I love you to family (except for my kids and Cauley) and I just don't let people know when they've hurt my feelings and then it causes problems because I keep it all bottled up and nobody ever knows how I am actually feeling. And then i get I get depressed because I feel like nobody cares and/or loves me.
Places I have lived:
*Chubbuck, ID
*Rexburg, ID
*Pocatello, ID
*Gilbert, AZ
*Queen Creek, AZ
Jobs I have had:
*In high school I worked at Nel's Bi-Lo, a small grocery store as a checker, bagger, stocker, and deli girl. (Ok, everything except butcher and produce boy!), *Telemarketer/ survey person during first year of college, *Daycare at Naturally Women- a fitness club, *cleaning lady for Dobson High school's fitness center, *Weight room supervisor for varsity athletes at Ricks college during our last semester at Ricks, * Assistant Manager at Afterthoughts, *Arctic Circle, *Server/hostess at Red lobster, *Server at Wingers, *Hostess at Sizzler, *Mother of the best three children in all the world!, and *preschool teacher to 6 awesome students!
Things most people don't know about me:
*I cannot stand hamburger- of any kind! (I love steak and roasts and stuff, just not ground meat!) Um, what else don't you know about me? *Most people think I'm quiet and reserved, but I am the most stubborn and opinionated person you may ever meet! *I love baseball. * I really enjoy cooking. -And anything else you don't know about me, feel free to ask!
Okay I tag...
Jeni
Esther
Stephanie
Jennifer
Jaclynn

Little Miss Tyli

Tyli is such a character, bring lots of laughter and not so pleasant sounds into our home. She comes up with the funniest things sometimes and can clear a room with her screaming others. Now at 14 months old, she is amazing us every day. Tyli has learned lots lately, except she is still missing courage to walk. She can do it, we've seen her when she doesn't know we're watching and she'll walk while holding onto one of our fingers, she's just a chicken to do it consistantly on her own. Tyli has discovered singing and loves the songs "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree," and "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" to which she does the actions to quite well. She lets us know she is happy by singing in whatever language it is that she speaks- we call it ewok. Her other new trick is prettending to be a duck. She knows all the animal sounds and will tell you what all of them say when asked, but her favorite is the duck. She puts her hands on her chest and flaps them like wings and quacks at us, making all of us crack up at her! Tyli is starting to say more and more words, but not a ton like my neice, Brooklynn, who must be a genious! (Brooks can say anything when prompted!) Tyli likes to yell "stop!" to her brothers and says a few other things, but my favorite is that she is signing and saying a lot of words like more, please, milk, drink, food, stinky, and one that she made up for binky. (That sounds like "bo-ty") Tyli loves to be outside and cries whenever we come in. She loves climbing the big slides at the park and playing (laying) in the sand. She is facinated with birds and airplanes and loves looking for dogs whenever she hears them bark. (we have annoying dogs that bark all the time living behind us!) Although her hair is getting longer, she won't leave anything in it for long, and usually eats whatever it was that was in it. (she especially likes the little elastics!) Like both my boys, Tyli is very cuddly, and when tired, will give the best loves a daughter can give. Although sometimes I wish she had a much quieter voice, we love her and are happy she is a part of our family.