In Memory

I had a dream last night, one of those that seems so real that when you wake it takes a while to figure out if it really happened or not. It was a little bizarre and I won't go into a lot of details but it had to do with me taking me kids to go see their Uncle Robert. Now, I don't have kids and my uncle is no longer with us, but I vividly remember everyone's excitement to go see him. When I woke up and reality hit me I felt so sad and it made my heart break for my Aunt Sue and her girls as I realized I'm sure this is what they go through every day. I got on my computer and went to the blog Nic and Steff set up when he was killed. I read every post. I find myself thinking about Robert a lot, I miss him so much. And I think I speak for my family when I say that Robert was one of the Greats! Most of us feel he wasn't just an uncle to us, he was a great buddy and friend! He taught us to ski, to wakeboard. He took us snowmobiling and sledding. Any time we made the trip to Idaho he had some sort of adventure planned for us. He was one of the funniest men around, but also one of the most compassionate. I still today can't believe he's gone, when I'm at my grandma's house I still expect to see him walk through the door. My brother Tanner was on a mission when Robert was killed and he wrote this in a letter..."Robert has takenthat next step in life, and is ahead of us all in preparing to return to God's presence. It has special significance to me because i know that he is now a missionary just like I am only he'll be serving and preaching to those who have already passed on! He is now amung the greatest missionaries the world has ever seen, in the spirit world carrying the light of the gospel to those who have not yet recieved it. The apostle paul, the prophet Joseph smith, Alma, Nephi, and Moroni to name a few. I've always wished I serve beside men like them!"

I will forever hold a special place in my heart for my Uncle Robert.

My latest addiction!!!

Those of you who know me know that I could exist on treats alone!! I really could go without meals all day and only eat the kind of things that are pictured above. Ryan told me about a doughnut place so the other day I stopped by and got a half dozen, and I had the best intentions of sharing with my husband. Whoops!! He did get one! Anyway since I had them they are all I can think about. Help!!!

PS this is the actual picture of the Raspberry Torte doughnut, it was my favorite!!!

Ode to Celina!

One of my very best friends, Celina, is moving this week to Ethiopia! Even though she will be back, I am sad about the departure. We have had some good times. We've traveled the continent together, spent Valentines days, news years, painted pottery, went through haunted houses, tried on wedding dresses together. Who will I see all the dumb movies that no one else wants to see with? Who will I eat Thai food, or check out treat shops that are for sale? Who will go to the midget candy store with me? We share almost the exact interest in tv shows, food, and sleeping temperature preferences. Remember how cold our room always was in our apartment in PG?
I can always count on you to be up for an adventure, and a reliable source on reading materials. You are one of the funniest people I know, and one of the best listeners.
You're silly, and crazy, and happy, and you have a loud laugh, like me!
You're always on my side, no matter what. One day we will own a treat shop together, if it's the last thing we do. Senorita Sprinkle Bottoms!!!
You have a big heart, which is exactly why you are heading to Ethiopia! I am so impressed with what you are doing!
I will miss you, but believe me when I say I will keep a list of all the movies that come out while you're gone, and we will spend an entire in sweats watching them. I love you, and you will be missed!!!


PS...this sounds oddly like a letter one should write to a lover...oh well!!!

Happy Birthday Rydog!!!

Even though you make funny faces in pictures, I love you!! Happy Birthday!

Yuletide....a little late!

So these pictures are again, out of order, but I will explain as we go. This year Christmas was in Ohio, everybody was there. Grandma and Grandpa Schenk even came for the festivas!!! We have a few traditions at the Clark house that I hold very dear to my heart. One is a pinata on Christmas eve. Tanner made the adorable penguin this year, very impressive. The next is crab for Christmas eve dinner, which Ryan and I had been looking forward to since we bought our tickets. Another is Steve Hull, and the last is the Pickle ornament, which this year I won!
This is Nana and Camryn and Brooklyn at Graeters ice cream. Because what sounds better after spending hours in the frigid cold getting our pictures taken than ice cream.
This is the Pickle Hunt. Every year when Santa comes he hides the pickle ornament somewhere on the tree (which is not just a cute name, it looks like an actual pickle) and the first one to find the pickle gets a special present. I won! Did I mention that already?
While we were there Sean had his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. This is Matt, Averi, Kendyl, and Brooklyn waiting for the fun to begin.
This is all my fam! Everyone in this picture is an Eagle Scout except of course me and the Nana! I would like to point out that I did, however, receive my Young Women medallion.
This is what was going on in our pews during the ceremony!
Me and Kendizzle! As Ryan likes to call her.
Steff, Camryn, me, Ryan, and Dani, my parents foreign exchange student from Spain.

Another tradition, we like to dress up in warm clothes with a few layers and shoot each other with paint ball guns. This is me awaiting the pain, and believe me, it came!
We also dress up and act out (kind of ) the Nativity on Christmas Eve. These are the 3wisemen!
Shepards and a cute little sheep!
Kendyl sizing up the pinata!
And Averi got the first hit! Isn't she a doll?

We are Family!!

Look how cute my family is!!!

The Nutcracker!

The week before we went to Ohio for Christmas, Steff invited me to go see the Nutcracker with her mom and sister. It was so nice of them to let me come and I had never seen it before! I must say it was Magical!! Also, thanks Steff for the picture, I stole it right off your blog!

Don't be Jealous!!

Right now I am to lazy to try and upload and organize all my pictures, and since I will one day turn this into a book there are certain things I would like to have documented, one such thing would be my favorite Christmas presents of 2009. Now don't be jealous, I have lots of people who really love me! These are in no particular order:

*My mom and dad put all our old home videos on dvd for us! It has been so much fun to watch!!!
* Steff made us all magnet heads of our entire family!! loved them!!
*My husband got me, and wrapped, my favorite kind of tic tacs (the passion fruit kind) and was pleased with himself. I was pleased as well, they are my favorite!
* Kate got me the cutest apron and my own personalized recipe cards...they are adorable and I have already filled them all out! And I hold a very special place in my heart for aprons!
* My mom and dad made us all shutterfly books of our family trip to Hawaii...it is full of amazingly beautiful pictures that I will treasure forever.
* Aimee gave me a barnes and noble GC with which I purchased a book called Hunger Games, and I would highly recommend to anyone, I am more than half way through and I must say usually at this point in a book I really like I get depressed that I won't be able to enjoy it much longer, but there are two more in the series, so I will have something to look forward to when I'm done!! Plus, it's way better than twilight and that marble skinned Edward, or however they always describe him, which is supposed to make him sound sexy, but all I can ever think of is the cold marble counters at cold stone.
*Maegan and Mackenzie gave me a lb of See's candies gc each. I don't even need to explain how happy this made me. They know my so well!!!
*Laurel gave me an awesome necklace and matching earrings that she picked out just for me!
*My parents gave us a universal remote which will make my life infinitely easier.
*Ryan also got me new salt and pepper shakers, because I melted my old ones!
*My Grandma and Grandpa Clark gave us a beautiful nativity.
*Roni made my favorite kind of fudge, peanut butter delicious-ness just for me.
* I should mention Ryan got me lots of other things, mainly that I picked out for myself, but somehow those mattered a lot less after I opened the ones that really came from the heart.
*My Grandma and Grandpa Schenk gave us a huge book of geneology, with stories, and family trees. I can't even imagine how long it took to create.
*Nic gave us all a incredible gift a few days after Christmas...he did the huka! And allowed people to record it!
*Last but not least, I won the pickle prize this year!!! The bragging rights were good enough for me, but was appreciative of Apples to Apples none the less!

It's interesting the older you get the less the material things matter and it really turns into the thought that counts. I have appreciated the personalized, made from the heart gifts. Those are the things I will never forget and love forever. I'm only sorry I didn't do more of those kinds of things for Christmas. We also got family pictures taken and I can not wait to see them and be able to hang one in my home. I love my family so much and I am so grateful for the close bond that we have. They are some of my best friends and favorite people to be around.
It was so nice to be able spend Christmas Eve with Ryan's Mom and Aimee and Laurel. I love being apart of their traditions and hearing about Ryan as a child, I wish I could have met Ryan's dad, he always sounds like such a great dad and fun person. He has definately left an incredible legacy behind, and a family who speaks very highly of him. I am so appreciative of how lovingly the Nelsons have accepted me and taken me in as one of them. Ryan and I are very very blessed in the family department and we are very grateful!!