The Clark Family

Fun stuff

2011-05-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

So I've decided to homeschool Zach. He seems to do better one on one than any other way. What kid doesn't really? Anthony says he still wants to go to regular school, but that when he comes home he wants me to teach him. He's such a busy little bee. Here in Rexburg the school system seems to be pretty good so I'm not terribly worried about it.
So, we love our house, we love Rexburg and I don't think I'd ever move back to Oregon after living here. I miss my family sure, but you can't beat raising your kid in this environment.
We made a trip back to Oregon in early May for two weeks to visit my grandma. She has an abdominal aortic aneurism. They said when it got to five cm they would have to operate, but she's 90 so its not advised. Well it go to 5 and now we are just waiting to see how much time she has left. We went back to Oregon to visit her because I didn't know if she would make it to Christmas. She's being a brave little girl as anyone who knows my grandma would expect, but you know, it was an excuse to go see them. We had a wonderful time.
All the kids are doing great. Haylee is talking up a storm, and Zach has learned all his numbers by sight and knows how much they are worth. Still working on those letters, he just went another avenue than Tony which is fine for me. Anthony is top in his class, but its Kindergarten so I don't know how excited I should be about that. If he stays that way, great, but honestly as long as he does well I am happy.
Adam was recently diagnosed with high cholesterol, hyperthyroidism, and pre-diabetes. We are trying to change his diet, but he is stubborn.
Yesterday we tilled up a huge garden with my new tiller. I now have a beautiful sunburn to show for it and 400 sq ft garden, give or take. Now I just need to plant some seeds.
Anyway, hope life is good for everyone else! Love,
Brandi

Life in Idaho

2011-02-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

So, it is tough learning to live without your family by your side every waking moment, but we are slowly getting there. I've never lived anywhere but Oregon and therefore have gotten used to the lovely winters. Idaho is the polar opposite of Oregon, but we like it...I think. :) The kids say they like it here too, but I think they especially like the fact that they have their own house to play in and that they can have puppies. Do I like having puppies? ...um...sometimes.
As of today, I am getting over the flu, which stinks. I don't think I can remember a time when I've been this sick. Luckily the rest of my family got flu shots. Why didn't I? You tell me LOL.
Here are some pictures.

Haylee- she is going to be 2 next month and talks like a 3 yr old at least. She can tell us anything she wants us to know. She also has this cute little stance she makes when she doesn't want to listen, folding her arms and glaring at us. Its so funny, but it never makes me mad. I just love this age and want to enjoy every little look she throws at me. Haylee loves her daddy and her mommy, but we have finally found a babysitter that she does not cry for. Dani is a girl who lives nearby that watches them when we want to go out on a date. Every other person we've left her with, she has cried for at least a little while the first time. She is 14 which is how old I was when I started babysitting other peoples kids. Anyway, they love her.

Zachary- He is going to be 4 next month and is doing everything you can imagine a 3/4 year old to be doing. He likes to ignore you, cuddle you, get into trouble...etc. Zachary also knows almost all the alphabet by sight, and is learning the sounds they make. He is not as interested in it as Tony was but that's ok, my kids don't have to all be alike for me to love them just the same. They really are the best kids. While I have been sick, they have been content to entertain themselves either by watching a movie or playing in their room with siblings. Gotta love having more than one kid, they keep each other busy.

Tony- is going to be 6 in July and is the best little Kindergarten student. In fact, his teacher at our latest PT conference told us he got the highest marks in the class for the yearly testing they do and some of the highest they've seen. Also that he was ready for first grade. We are not going to move him up, although we did talk about it before the school year began. He can sit down and pick up any childrens book and read it by himself. Tony is also very good at telling us no and ignoring us. It is quite annoying but it is the age I think and we deal with it as best we can. We try to keep in mind that he too just moved away from his family and still misses them as much as we do.

Otherwise things are fine, the puppies are growing, the snow is melting, and we are learning to parent without grandparents to tell us what to do every second. We miss Oregon but love having our own house in Idaho.

How time flies

2011-01-06T12:16:00.001-08:00

I know I don't update this blog much due to everyone I know being on facebook, but here's the news for those of you who want to know.
We moved to Rexburg Idaho on October 4th 2010. We bought our first house. It is 3bedroom 1 bath right now. Once we finish the basement we will have another 2 bedrooms and an extra bathroom downstairs, as well as a lot of storage space and possibly a small den/playroom. When all is said and done it will be 5/2 with around 2000 sq ft, give or take a few 100 feet or two. We are super excited to be here, we love Rexburg.
Here's a pic of when the house was about 95% done.

On another note we drove home for the holidays. When we were 56 miles east of bend (where pretty much nothing exists except sagebrush) we got into a car accident trying to avoid a deer. Everyone was ok but the car was toast. So, after making it 600 miles our trip hit a bump. Adam's sister drove to bend to get us and the tow truck and ambulance got everyone to the hospital. We are all ok, just a little sad.

We spent Christmas with our families and on Monday decided to drive home in Adam's mother's car. After a rough 500 mile drive we got into yet another car accident and unintentionally totaled another car. A lovely LDS family saved us from total despair, took us in for the night, fed us in the morning and helped us find a way back home.
Some friends from our home ward in Rexburg happened to be in Nampa where we were and drove us to Pocatello where our Bishop had driven to to get us. Lots more details remain but long story short we made it home on Tuesday evening safe and sound.
Let it be known it will be a looooong time before we attempt to drive home again. Not just because we currently don't have a car either. :)

So our insurance has taken two weeks to get back to us and hopefully we will know today whether they are going to fix it or not, but I doubt it.

All is well on the homefront, other than being a little sore. We have both seen the chiropractor a few times and feel better.

My birthday was on Thursday the 30th of December and I got my one birthday wish so I'm good with that. That was to get home safe which we did. Long story short we learned a lot about service and love over the Christmas weekend and have changed our lifestyles accordingly. Some wonderful friends and neighbors have been helping us out and offering help without thought of anything in return. I've been making up fudge and fresh bread for these wonderful people in hopes that we can at least do our part to return the favor.

We are strong, healthy, and in awe of the Lord's grace in keeping us all safe even in two car accidents. I know Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to be happy. We thank Him for our blessings and health.

Updates on the family.

2010-06-17T21:43:00.001-07:00

So, it's a boring one but to all of you who actually read my blog, we moved to student housing in April. However, OSU was not working out for Adam so we decided to return to the University of Phoenix (online) and therefore must again move out of student housing. We decided to move closer to family since we can go to school online anywhere. Anyway, we found a house in Creswell. It is a 3 bedroom 1.5 bath, one story, hardwood floor, big kitchen, huge living room, and a large fenced back yard. Also, there is a park right behind our fence which I'm sure could be annoying at times as well as awesome. Our landlord said we could put in some garden boxes in the back yard to plant some veggies which is cool.
We are moving July 1st, so if anyone is in the area and wants to help that'd be cool!

Anthony: Turning 5 on July 5th (magic birthday). reading and writing at a solid Kindergarten level, almost a 1st grade level and has never had any formal schooling. He loves to learn and we are thinking of doing homesource home schooling so he can have one on one attention and get as far along as possible. I know home schooled kids sometimes end up being further ahead than other kids.

Zachary: 3 now and a sweet boy. He is excited to have a new bunkbed to share with his brother. A little nervous to move to a new house since he really likes his friends here at student housing, but we are all happy to have a new house with lots more room.

Haylee: Talks a lot, knows and understands tons of words and phrases. No she is not walking yet but crawls like a pro and is very close to walking. She loves her mommy and her daddy and can stand up on anything!
All in all we are doing as good as can be.

It was nice yesterday.

2010-02-19T11:37:00.000-08:00

(pic 1)It was a nice day yesterday which is rare around here. So we decided to go outside and enjoy the sun. I have no idea what Zachy is looking at, but it was cute.

(Pic 2) Haylee was hanging out on the trampoline enjoying the show. AKA watching her brothers play. She even kicked the soccer ball around a bit with mommy's help and had a lot of giggly fun.

(Pic 3) This was too cute of a picture of two brothers just hanging out. Adam thought it was adorable too!

(pic 4) Zachy was pushing Haylee around in this little car. He went back and forth so many times it made me tired just watching him push her.

(pic 5)He finally said "mom, I'm tired." He sat down and took a break, but he enjoyed pushing her as much as she enjoyed being pushed.

Ode to the old times

2010-01-29T13:50:00.000-08:00

Man, I look at mine and Adam's engagement pictures and thing. Wow how carefree were we. I can't remember the last time I had that little to worry about. I used to be so busy I though. Now every day passes quicker than the last. These are just for fun and were taken in 2004. Enjoy!

Love my kids!!!

2010-01-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

These pictures aren't the greatest since they were taken on my phone, but you can get the idea. The last one was taken with Adam's blackberry storm ( a very cool phone). Anyway, enjoy!

We got stuck in Portland a week or so ago and ended up with a few inches of snow...like 5 it seemed. Anyway, it took us around 6 hours to make a 1 1/2 hour trip. Real fun with 3 little kids in the back seat. It all worked out, we even got to play in the snow for a little while. The boys made snow angels and threw snowballs...mostly at me. :-)

Ah, the joys of motherhood

2009-12-09T20:42:00.001-08:00

I know it has been a while since I posted, but raising 3 kids is not exactly the easiest thing I have done!
Anyway, life is good. We went up to Portland today and I took the kids to the Lloyd center and we strolled around for 3 hrs while Adam went to the VA hospital to see his doctor. It was actually pretty fun!!! We went into a pirate shop, watched the ice skaters, zachy won a toy out of the crane machine on his first try by himself (oh yeah my son is cool), and we window shopped. It was a very fun day for all of us, except maybe daddy. Anyway, here are some pictures.

Haylee is 8 months old now and loves to smile and play with her brothers. They are the best big brothers. In the morning while I am waking up, Tony goes an lays with her in her crib to keep her happy. We have her down to only waking up once in the night and going to sleep on her own. She now eats anything we are eating as long as it is baby safe. Apparently she does doesn't like baby food, even though I have a ton of it in the cupboard. Oy, life!!!
Zachary and Anthony get along a lot better than they used to and are listening to me on a more regular basis. We must be doing something right!
Apparently we are going to be moving back down to Eugene/Springfield area as Adam has changed his major and decided to pursue architecture which has been his dream all along in the first place...men! Of course they couldn't have that degree at OSU, not even an associates!!! So sometime in the Spring (March-April) we should be moving back down there. We will see how it goes. I guess this is the nice thing about not owning a house. We can move away whenever we feel like it!

Here it is!!!

2009-11-16T16:56:00.001-08:00

Check it out!!!
www.preciouslittlepresents.com

Some fun things

2009-09-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

So...life is good but busy. Between teaching primary, going to school, starting a new business and being a mother, I sometimes find time for myself. I like being a mom most though. Last night Adam went on a campout with the scouts, which amazingly was the first night I have had all 3 kids to myself overnight. It turned out ok though, except for when I asked the kids to help me clean up the living room. That is always FUN... Anyway, not much has been happening other than that. I miss all my friends Springfield/Eugene, and beyond, but we seem to be settling in quite nicely here in Corvallis...

NEW BUSINESS

2009-09-21T23:34:00.000-07:00

CHECK IT OUT AT BKCTREASURES.BLOGSPOT.COM

I've started a new business and now have access to thousands of products! I also get a great deal on these products and I'm willing now to pass the savings on to you. Every day I will update my blog to include more and more items that I have for sale. If you are looking for a specific type of item, let me know and I'll try and find it for you.
My new business BKC Treasures has items for Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, Jewelry, Candles, Dragons, Home Decor, Just for him...and more. Check daily for updates.
I will have my website up and running very soon. For now I am taking orders through my email at bkctreasures@gmail.com
Thanks for stopping by!
Also, I am offering a free gift for the first 50 people to spend $50 or more!

Tony

2009-09-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know two posts in one day AAAHH!!!
Here are some pics of Anthony learning to draw/write. I have been teaching him at home on our chalkboard and on paper of course. I found an awesome preschool workbook at walmart that he loves.
Shapes

Tony writing his name
Tony after he changed the N's. Darn those N's for being so difficult. LOL

Can you tell which one I wrote? I think he did a pretty dang good job.

And finally Tony writing his numbers
And one more cute one of daddy teaching him to draw a house. What an artist!

Just some updates and pictures!!!

2009-09-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

Everything is going pretty well. Adam's Father is sick and we don't quite know what is going to happen with him, but otherwise things are not too bad.

I now have a more interesting Sunday class with 8 6yr olds, which wouldn't be so bad, except 6 of them are boys. We have a wild class. It is difficult to keep 8 children quiet for more than 10 seconds. I do have a couple children that are quiet throughout practically the entire lesson though.

Otherwise, Adam has been asked to help out with the boy scout campouts for the next few months which should be fun for him.

Random...Here is a picture of my new highlights! I love color!

Adam brought me and Haylee some pretty flowers. If these had been yellow they would have been the same flowers from my wedding. Very sweet!

I thought I would add some pictures of Adam since I hardly ever post any pictures of him.

So...if anyone wants to know anything, just ask and you shall receive!

Yup, we're home. It was fun!

2009-08-31T19:10:00.000-07:00

So, we had a blast in Reno and here are some pics to prove it!

The biggest clown in town. Funny, I always thought it was Adam. Oh well!

Ok, so I really liked this fountain from the Silver Legacy.

One of the circus acts. Acrobats. AMMMAAAAZZZZING!

I think Zachary was having a little too much fun!

Funny Faces

So, we played at midway, went to an automobile museum (pics to surface later I promise), had tons of fun hanging out, especially when we had our stuffed animal fight. The kids won so many animals they were coming out our ears by the time we packed up. It was great though. If only the casino's weren't so smoky, and if only you didn't have to walk through them to get anywhere. Oh well, that's Reno for you I guess. Oh btw, according to Zachy, its Rena!

Oh yeah, that's right, we're in Reno

2009-08-29T01:49:00.000-07:00

Adam decided to take a spontaneous vacation so we grabbed my little brother and the kids and headed for Reno. 9 or so hours later we arrived at Circus Circus and then promptly went to sleep. We have been having fun fun fun! Thought I'd share some pictures! Enjoy!

Zachary's face paint!

Yay, fishing. This was their favorite game at Midtown (circus circus) I think!

Look mommy, I won a prize!

At a rest stop in California, trying to get happy. We thought it would be a good idea to drive at night so the kids would sleep through the drive. Yeah, didn't work out too well.

3 out of 5 isn't bad right?

2009-08-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

It is difficult to get all five of the siblings together, but here is a picture of the oldest (Jasen), middle (me), and youngest (Corey). I just like the picture, so enjoy.

At your request

2009-07-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

I know its a lot of pictures, but you asked for them and they are worth it so keep looking!So, first of all Zachary found his Halloween costume and put it on with Anthony's help. Next, yes he has cheese sandwiches on his thumbs and is enjoying having his picture taken. I don't like to be one of those moms that doesn't let their kids have fun with food once in a while.

Yes Haylee is in a laundry basket. We (the kids and I) stayed at my mom's house in Springfield the other night while Adam went four wheeling with my brother and sister-in-law. She didn't like sleeping on the mattress my mom had with me so we put her in the laundry basket next to me while I slept. She actually slept quite well.

This is a cute picture of Tony at Aunt Trina's birthday party. Adam's sister turned 34. She looks great for 34 I think!

A recent picture of me. Not my favorite but I don't think its that bad.

Haylee smiling at her toys on her car seat. She is really enjoying grabbing for things and looking at everything.

My little Zachary showing his attitude side. HEY!!!

I know there are a lot of pictures of Zach but he is just adorable. We love going to the parks around here.
This picture is just dang cute. The first picture of all three kids together. Still in the hospital.

A big brother for the first time. Not too sure about this mommy.

So, long story short we are doing pretty well after losing Adam's grandpa. Such a wonderful man, he died on July 8th of complications with is lung and heart. Wonderful guy we loved and will remember always.
Adam took the summer off so he could get used to his new calling (Young Men's advisor) and cause everybody needs a break right?
We miss everyone in Eugene, but remember cars go both ways!!!

Just an update

2009-06-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we are all doing fine up here in Corvallis. Tony is making friends and starting preschool in the Fall. Zachary is sleeping in his big boy bed and doing awesome on his potty training. Haylee is a little sweetheart, sleeping around 7hrs at a time at night. She wakes up to eat and then she goes back to sleep. For some odd reason I can't seem to fall asleep before midnight. I don't know what everyone wants to know, but we are all doing well.

Happy Aniversary

2009-06-12T00:31:00.001-07:00

Today is our 5th anniversary. It has been a bumpy road along the way, but it has been worth it. In 5 years we have given birth to three beautiful children, lost one and loved many others. We have moved 10 times, don't ask me why but we have made lots of friends along the way. I love this man even more than when we got married and feel that we are still "going strong." Adam is a great husband and father, and now a hard-working student. I love my life and I love you Adam!

Haylee pictures for fun

2009-05-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

This is a dress I made for her.

Haylee

2009-05-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

I will have pics later, but Haylee is now 10pounds 8 ounces and is 23 inches long. That means, in 3 weeks, she gained 2lbs 8 ozs! Even the nurse said that was pretty amazing. She has grown 2 inches in 6 weeks. Other than that, she is fine and healthy!

Update

2009-05-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

Haylee is growing so big and strong. Soon we will have updates on weights and height, but for now just seeing her legs filling out from the skin a bones they were at 2 weeks does my heart good. She holds her head up like a pro and barfs on mommy like she enjoys doing it. Her brothers love her to pieces and are getting used to her crying fits. Yes, my daughter has a temper already. UH OH! We are doing our best to work around it, but what can you say to a 6 week old baby. Quit it or I will take away your uh.....? Anyway, you get the picture. Enough of my ranting about Haylee.

Tony, whom I am also proud of is finally making friends. I know that doesn't sound like much of a feat, but he has never really had a friend outside of church. i.e. someone he plays with more than once a week. Gabe, our next door neighbor and he play almost daily outside on their bikes in our quiet culdesac. YAY TONY!

So, I was afraid that he would quit on me with the whole potty training thing, but... He has now graduated to going number 2 on the potty and I couldn't be more proud. This is a huge step for Zachy and much harder on him than it was for Tony it seems. However, I will be so glad to only have one diaper to change. He goes potty at least once a day, sometimes twice, and today he went three times and made 2 #2's!!! Things are going smoother than expected. It's always nice when the happens.

Yay Zachary

2009-05-05T00:38:00.000-07:00

After many months of just trying to get him used to the idea of a toilet, Zachary is finally going potty. Over the last few days we have gotten him to go "pee in the water" as he says it around once a day, but today it was twice. He has come a long way considering he used to scream when I simply asked him if he wanted to sit on the potty, let along actually put him on it. So, here is my shout out for my wonderful little 2 yr old.

Miss Haylee

2009-04-21T22:33:00.001-07:00

Haylee is doing good and finally gaining some weight. She definitely knows how to voice her opinion now and does so quite frequently! We all love her to pieces and the boys still love having a little sister, even if Zachary does tell her "baby, be quiet!"

Safe and sound

2009-04-12T23:14:00.001-07:00

I must say I am going to miss Santa Clara 3rd ward. Not only is everyone great, but we had about 6 young men come over Friday to load up our truck for us. They hardly missed a beat when it came to getting things done. Occasionally they would stop to play with one of the boy's toys but then they would get back to work. They were Grrreat!!!
Anyway, we made it to Corvallis on Saturday around 2pm and had 3 guys from the ward plus one teenage son help us move in. It didn't take them long and now everything is here. Our moms helped us unpack about 8 totes and 8 boxes before they left. This was by far one of the easiest moves we have ever done. Now we just need to get Adam finished with school and see what happens from there.

Haylee Jean

2009-04-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone is doing good. I am still very sore and plan to be for some time, but that is ok. The boys love their new little sister and ask to hold her all the time. They love to give hugs and kisses. Zachy is just working on being gentle with the poking!

Here is a picture of mema helping zachy holding baby sister. Tony is waiting patiently for his turn.

She's Here

2009-04-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well after 39 weeks Haylee Jean has finally graced us with her presence, she came out at 9:02am on Tuesday March 31st, 2009 she was 8lbs 9oz, 21 inches long, and her head measured at 14 1/2 inches. She is having some Jaundice problems but other than that she is very healthy. We will post more as the week goes on, she gets to go tomorrow if all goes well.

A new adventure

2009-03-20T23:12:00.000-07:00

I know some of you Eugenians are gonna hate me, but you would hate me more if I didn't tell you. Adam and I have acquired a rental and are moving to Corvallis on April 10th. Yes I know its next month which won't give anyone here much time to see the new baby, but I promise we will visit. We have already promised my mom/mom-in-law 2 visits a month at least. Plus, Corvallis is only 45 mins away if you take hwy 99.
We are renting a cute 3 bed duplex near the college so that Adam will only 10 mins or so away in an emergency as opposed to an hour away where we are now.
In other news, we also bought a minivan, so we are officially a mormon family now, I guess. LOL It seems like everyone drives a minivan if they have kids and go to the LDS church. Thats another good thing, the church is right down the street and it seems as though we will live close to everything.
Love you all, sorry for the potentially bad news.

Happy Birthday Adam

2009-03-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband who is now 28! We love him very much, he is a wonderful daddy and husband. He says he wants his little girl for his birthday, but we will see what happens. LOL

These are pictures of Adam about 4 1/2 years ago, but I thought they were cute so...

Cute new hats

2009-03-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to crafts dealing with yarn, and amazingly I was able to go to the craft store today...barely. Anyway, I took Anthony in with me, and we got these adorably cute hats for him and Zachary. The best thing is they were only $1.29 apiece!!!
Zacharys hat, seen here is a bear for anyone who can't tell.
Anthony's hat is a bit harder, but. it is a giraffe. It was tough getting a good picture, but I thought they were cute

New Haircut

2009-03-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

Not my best picture, but it'll do. I wish I would have gotten a better picture the day it was done.

Round 2

2009-02-28T13:44:00.000-08:00

So, I was in the hospital again last night with preterm labor that lasted about 4 hours. :( Unfortunately the only thing I got out of it was being 75% effaced by the time it was over and up to a 1cm+. I was hoping she would come so I wouldn't have to go through this again, but no such luck, so I get to stay home and feel crappy for the next few days. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
Oh well, what can you do?
In other news, I chopped off my hair to the shortest it has ever been and added bangs. I will add some pictures in a bit.

Baby update

2009-02-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

We had another ultrasound yesterday to measure growth and fluid. Everything is fine, but the ultrasound technician said the baby was 6lbs 4 oz already!!! With 5 weeks left that adds another 2 lbs by delivery time. Looks as if we are going to be expecting an 8 lb baby. My doctor mentioned of course that they could be plus of minus 1 lb at this point however.
Also, she measured at 75%, when average normal is 50%. Her leg was the only thing that measured at 34 weeks, everything else...especially her head...measured at 36 weeks plus. Everyone I see keeps telling me that there is no way I will make it to the end of March. I guess we'll see. If anyone wants to put in a guess as to when she will get here, I am interested to know your opinion LOL.

Fun projects

2009-02-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

I made these cute hats for my boys. I was bored and it was really fun. Just thought I would share. :)

My sick baby

2009-02-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

So, the kid who never gets sick...is sick! Poor baby, he has been throwing up since yesterday. Only a couple times, but still! He has a fever, but is finally keeping down liquids and some honey nut cheerios. He's pretty miserable though. Anyone who reads this, can you please pray for my baby to get better and no one else in the house to get sick?

Night Terrors

2009-02-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

So, since Zachary turned one, every few weeks he wakes up in the middle of the night screaming at the top of his lungs. That wouldn't be so unusual except that we cannot wake him up and he goes very rigid. We asked his doctor about it and he said it sounded like night terrors. We found that out like 6 months ago, I just only happen to be blogging about it now but anyway.... Has anyone else had any experience with this sort of thing? Or have any advice on how to wake up a child who is so stuck in his dream that he doesn't know whats going on? I mean it only takes around a half an hour to get him out of it, but it is still scary.
He's just too sweet to be having these kinds of problems. I mean look at his baby pictures.

Guitar Hero

2009-02-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, so the new toy in our house is Adams PS3 and I made him buy Guitar Hero World Tour for it. I gotta tell you, it is really fun and pretty much everyone who plays it loves it. I have to say I prefer my Wii just a little more but for now Guitar Hero is filling the gap when we get a chance to play it. THe reason I am blogging about this is for my brother Jasen. We took it over to his house to visit and Adam and Jasen played guitar and drums. It was Jasens first time on drums and he was amazing. It was like he had been playing for years. Yesterday he sent me a text saying he had a 358 note streak. That pretty much means no matter how fast it was, he didn't screw up for 358 solid notes. Most people get like a 50 note streak! That was only his second day! Anyway, fun for the whole family. It comes with drums, guitar, and a microphone. You can buy an extra bass so you can really have 4 people playing at the same time. Just thought I'd blog cause I promised Jasen I would LOL. He says he's gonna quit his job and join a rock band, we'll see what happens.

Promised pictures

2009-02-04T16:33:00.000-08:00

Fun at Red Robin. Everyone says Tony looks like Adam.

The view from the back door of our ground floor hotel room. So beautiful.

Me and Zachary, they say we look alike. What does everyone think?

Random vacation

2009-01-30T22:52:00.000-08:00

We decided to take a random vacation to the coast. After driving down to Roseburg for Adam's doctor appt and getting frustrated by his new doctor that we don't like, we drove to Florence. We got a room at the Driftwood Shores Hotel. What a wonderful hotel, I recommend it to everyone. The back door/sliding door of our room looks right out onto the ocean which is like a 1 minute walk away. So beautiful, zachary was just amazed by the ocean. It was cool to see him that excited about something. We went swimming in the pool with the kids, but since we got here late didn't do much else. Tomorrow we plan on taking them to downtown Florence and doing some of the activities there. I think they have a Ripleys and Undersea gardens. More details and pictures to come. Be home Saturday!!! Late!!!!

Update

2009-01-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

So, I am feeling better. No more labor pains thank goodness, just some minor pains (kinda like mild cramps) when I begin to overdo it. So that is a good indicator for me now. I have just been taking it slow and making the kids pick things up for me instead of bending over, and of course Adam gets zachary in and out of bed for me whenever he is home to do it. Zach is having a hard time dealing with the fact that mommy can't pick him up, but he is doing better. Both are coping quite well with what mommy can and can't do. I take my house one day at a time and so far so good. Thanks to everyone who offered to help, I may still take you up on those offers in Feb or March. With Tony I went into labor early like 4 times before he was due so we will see what happens LOL. Lots of love!

I look at this picture of Tony and see baby Zachy in the background and think. WOW he was so young, I must have been crazy to have two kids that close together. Now I am doing it again. LOL
My handsome hubby

So cute, Tony playing dead.

Just a little scare

2009-01-20T09:08:00.001-08:00

So...guess who was in the hospital last night in preterm labor? That's right, it was me. I took the kids for a walk last night because my doctor has told me to get exercise. Well we walked about 4 or 5 blocks, not that far I thought. I came home, sat down to relax and started feeling some discomfort. At first I didn't think anything of it but then that "discomfort" started getting worse and was 7 minutes apart each time. So I got worried and called the doctor. She said if it lasted another hour to come in. Well it did and it got worse so I went in. They concluded I was having contractions after being on their monitor for an hour and a half or so. Since we really didn't want to give birth just yet they gave me a little pill to relax my uterus, don't worry this pill could not affect the baby, I asked. The first one didn't work so they gave me another one and that seemed to be effective.
So happily enough we do not have our third child yet. She told me if I didn't have 2 young children to care for that she would recommend bedrest, but hello! who can be on bedrest with Anthony and Zachary running around? So I just have to take it easy, try not to pick them up anymore, no more walking 4 blocks, and yeah..do as little as I can which will drive me nuts. Anyway, just thought I would update everyone.

Picture of the belly

2009-01-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

Well we are around 7 months now and this is the belly. Tony likes to call me his "big fat mommy." I have to laugh because he doesn't mean any harm by it. Sorry it is blurry, this picture was taken by a 3 yr old. I'm lucky my head isn't chopped off. It's not my favorite picture of me but I thought you might like to know what the belly looked like.

Is it just me?

2009-01-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

I have to mention the fact that there are 5 total people I know of having or recently had baby girls. Carina, Sarah, Tiffany, Kim, and myself. This seems like a total girl boom. Anyone know of anybody who is having a boy or are we going to be overrun with girls soon?

Just some more fun pictures

2008-12-23T13:21:00.001-08:00

A cute picture of us at Pinnochios pizza in Cottage Grove
Anthony loves posing for the camera
Yes, Zachary likes wearing my headbands
Gimme the camera mommy
A pool dip last summer. Tony wanted to test out Zachys new pool toy
Uh oh, am I not supposed to be playing with this?

OK OK here's some pictures

2008-12-11T14:28:00.001-08:00

This is one of Haylee's ultrasound 3-d pictures. How cool is that?

Daddy and Anthony

A somewhat blurry picture of the two boys. Sorry.

Someday Adam will show me how our scanner works and I will put in some more. For now these are from my phone. LOL

Awesome

2008-12-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, I did it. I finally went and saw twilight. I don't usually like to go do the popular thing just because everyone else likes it, but it was worth it. I must say, everyone should have an Edward in their lives, and the special powers are just a plus. LOL
Adam went with me, and I think he thought they were gonna let her turn into a vampire till Edward saved her. I think he wanted her to turn! Either way the movie was good. A question though. Is this just the first book that they covered in the movie? Or, did they cover some of the second? I haven't read them yet so I wondered. I might consider it though but I don't want to start on the second one if they covered that one in the movie.

A tag from Carina

2008-10-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

I've never been tagged before but this one is easy thank goodness.
What is your husbands name? Adam

How long have you been married? 4 years, 4months

How long did you date? 1 month before getting engaged, 3 more months before we got married

How old is he? 27

Who eats sweets? We both do, but he tells me to stop sometimes when I have too much, especially when I'm pregnant.

Who said I Love you first? We kind of said it at the same time, I don't remember who said it first, probably him

Who is taller? Adam

Who can sing best? I can, but thats probably cause I have had more experience in it than him.

Who is smarter? Adam is really a logical smart, and I am more of a creative smart. As far as school smarts go we are about the same.

Who does laundry? Me but he helps out

Who pays the bills? We pay everything together

Who sleeps on the right side? It varies but me at the moment cause its closer to the bathroom LOL

Who mows the lawn? Adam

Who cooks dinner? Both of us

Who drives? Adam 90% of the time

Who's first to admit when you are wrong? Hahaha. We admit we are wrong when realize it

Who kissed who first? Oh, Adam kissed me first. He tried a few times and failed cause like my dear friend Carina I thought I was waiting for a missionary.

Who asked who out first? Adam asked me out at like 9:30pm after FHE one night after I had already gone home. I said yes even thought I had only had like 3 hours of sleep and had to work the next day. It was fun and it turned out all right.

Who wears the pants? I would have to say for the most part, Adam does. He lets me win sometimes though.

I tag Jennifer, Tiffany, Sarah, and Melissa. Be sure to tag 4 people at the end of your post.

Another update

2008-10-23T20:20:00.001-07:00

So we had a little scare on Tuesday. We were told that the baby was at an elevated risk for neural tube defects so we went in today to find out if that was the case. Basically it is an opening in the spine, brain, or abdomen which can lead to spina bifida, brain damage, or things not being where they should. So, we went in and talked to a genetics counselor for a half an hour for her to tell us about it all and what we would do if it were to come out that the baby did have any of those things then we went in and did the ultrasound for 30 minutes. Well, turns out the baby is fine and the test was just wrong so were happy. Also some good news is, we found out sooner than we were supposed to that we are having a little girl. Yay, its exactly what we were hoping for and we couldn't be happier. We have a first name picked out already; Hayley (adam spells it Hailey) we haven't decided how to spell it yet. We are still working on a middle name, but so far we have Kay, Lynn, or Jean. Just thought you would all like to know. Pictures will be here soon.

More updates

2008-10-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

So, we had a doctor's appt yesterday and everything seems good. The baby's heartbeat is over 150bpm which was must faster than my boys were. :) We scheduled the ultrasound for November 13th which made me happy because my boys were both discovered on the 14ths of the month. LOL Can you tell we are really hoping for a girl? The c-section is going to be scheduled on March 31st if that day is available and if not if will be March 27th or April 3rd, but I'm pretty sure that since he is scheduling it so early the 31st should be available. I really like my new doctor much better than my old doctor. Anthony is getting excited to meet his little brother/sister. Everytime I tell him I am going to the doctor he asks if I am going to get the baby out. LOL.

Update

2008-09-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped me figure out the baby gadget thing. I finally figured it out. A little update, we got to hear the baby's heartbeat last week. It was 150 bpm which is much faster than the boys was. I'm hoping thats a good sign that it is a girl. Everything seems to be getting better. I'm not as tired and I am having more good days which is a big change for me. Tony is excited to be a big brother again, but he keeps telling me he wants another brother, not a sister. Either way I guess God knows what we need.

New medicine

2008-08-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I went to see the doctor today and after telling him about my nausea taking over my life, he prescribed me a new medicine. It seems to be working but the only side effect is that it make me really sleepy so I will have to figure that one out. They say to take it at night, but I felt crappy after seeing my dinner for the second time last night...4times so I took some today and took a nice nap. Luckily my mom kept Zachy and Tony took a nap with me so it worked out pretty well. So, hopefully I will be able to sing with Carina in two weeks and not feel sick LOL.

Baby Update

2008-08-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

So we went in to do an ultrasound to find out our due date and found out we weren't as far along as we thought. Either way it was ok, but we are around 6 weeks along and my due date is April 5th, which is a little scary since we have to do it a week early, and my sons birthday is march 26th as well as my husbands birthday is march 10th. So, Zachy may be 2 by the time he becomes a big brother, but he also may be sharing a birthday if the baby is born close to that day. Oh well, at least we know now.
Just so everyone knows and no one can be mad at me, I am very sick to my stomach pretty much all the time, very tired and sometimes cranky. I always get upset when people tell me that they don't even feel pregnant when i feel like crap so anyone who feels like crap right along with me is alright with me. LOL

My mom sent this to me. I couldn't help but share.

2008-08-10T10:38:00.003-07:00

Because I'm a man, when I lock my keys in the car, I will fiddle with a coat hanger long after hypothermia has set in. Calling CAA is not an option. I will win.
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Because I'm a man, when the car isn't running very well, I will pop the hood and stare at the engine as if I know what I'm looking at. If another man shows up, one of us will say to the other, 'I used to
be able to fix these things, but now with all these computers and everything, I wouldn't know where to start.' We will then drink a couple of beers and break wind, as a form of holy communion.
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Because I'm a man, when I catch a cold, I need someone to bring me soup and take care of me while I lie in bed and moan. You're a woman. You never get as sick as I do, so for you, this is no problem.
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Because I'm a man, I can be relied upon to purchase basic groceries at the store, like milk or bread. I cannot be expected to find exotic items like 'cumin' or 'tofu.' For all I know, these are the same thing.
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Because I'm a man, when one of our appliances stops working, I will insist on taking it apart, despite evidence that this will just cost me twice as much once the repair person gets here and has to put it back together.
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Because I'm a man, I must hold the television remote control in my hand while I watch TV. If the thing has been misplaced, I may miss a whole show looking for it, though one time I was able to survive by holding a calculator instead (applies to engineers only).
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Because I'm a man, you don't have to ask me if I liked the movie. Chances are, if you're crying at the end of it, I didn't...and if you are feeling amorous afterwards...then I will certainly at least remember the name and recommend it to others.
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Because I'm a man, I think what you're wearing is fine. I thought what you were wearing five minutes ago was fine, too. Either pair of shoes is fine. With the belt or without it, looks fine. It does not make your rear look too big. It was the pasta and potatoes and Margaritas that did that. Your hair is fine. You look fine. Can we just go now?
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Because I'm a man, and this is after all, the year 2008, I will share equally in the housework. You just do the laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, the vacuuming, and the dishes, and I'll do the rest. Like wandering around in the garden with a beer, wondering what to do.
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THIS HAS BEEN A PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE TO HELP WOMEN BETTER UNDERSTAND MEN.

Moving

2008-07-31T20:55:00.001-07:00

We found a house and are moving back in to Santa Clara 3rd ward. I can't remember if anyone I know is in that ward except my Aunt and Uncle. Hope to see some friendly faces there in a few weeks.

Surprise!

2008-07-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

So it has been confirmed so I can post here. I am pregnant with baby number 3. We are so excited and I think we are ready. All we have to do now is find a bigger place. Carina, if we get the place we were looking at we will be really close to you guys again. LOL we can watch each other get fat. J/k. YAY

memories

2008-07-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

My friend Sarah did this on her blog, and I thought it was neat, so I'm gonna do it on mine!
Here are the rules:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I (or you and Adam... or both!) had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember (as long as its nice)!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Aren't memories fun! Can't wait to see...

3 years later

2008-07-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

Well, 3 years ago yesterday (the 5th) I was in the hospital giving birth to a beautiful baby boy. It's hard to believe he is 3 but he is. Anthony had a little party at papa's pizza with his cousins and some other family members. Kids grow too fast.
We are all doing good for the people that actually read this. My little brother Daniel is back visiting for a while, my grandma is having some health issues, but I think she will be ok. Anthony was sick for a few days last week and we thought we would have to cancel his birthday but he got better. We did miss the rodeo though, dang it. Anyway we are all good.

7reasons not to mess with children

2008-04-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

7 reasons not to mess with children.

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah". The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?" The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honour" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?" Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white." The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.' A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, she's dead."

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face." "Yes," the class said. "Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?" A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE . God is watching." Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."

Small and simple

2008-04-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how much little things can mean to a family. We have recently acquired a dog. His name is Sammo and he's a 9 year old black lab mix. Great dog, a little neurotic but a sweet dog and good with the kids. Anyway we have started a nightly ritual of going on walks with the kids; and now even though he hurt his paw we've gotten so much into the habit of it we still go together, we just leave him home to heal :(. While that is sad it is good that our family can do more things together. That has led to us playing baseball in the backyard among other energetic activities. Before we thought we really didn't have much to do outside. Yet because of one thing (small and simple?) it has led to us doing a lot more together. It probably helps that our sons are getting bigger, but it amazes me what a 2 yr old can do with a bat and a ball. He is so creative, sometimes he uses it like a gold club. He can bat really well too already, sometimes better than me LOL. Kids are great, they love looking up at the stars at night, and Tony loves the moon. Anyway thanks for reading my ramblings. LOL

Cute babies

2008-04-07T16:17:00.001-07:00

Just some really cute pictures I thought you baby lovers would enjoy. Lanette said she wanted more pictures of the boys. I'll get some updated ones on here soon. :)

Happy Birthday Zachary (A picture of Zachy last year) I need to get some updated ones on here.

2008-03-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Today Zachy turned 1. He is such a good little boy. Never really makes a fuss and almost always goes to bed when he's supposed to. The sweetest baby I think I've ever met. So happy. He does like to eat though. Zachy out eats his big brother Tony daily. I just know to give him twice as much. He weighs in at around 25 pounds and Tony only weighs about 33. LOL He is really healthy and I couldn't wish for a happier healthier 1 yr old. So happy birthday Zachary Ryan.

Easter 2007

2008-03-25T14:57:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of the boys last year at Easter that I thought was cute. I figured i'd put it up until I got the pics of this easter from Adam's mom. Enjoy. Zachy was about 2 weeks old and Tony was about 22 months old. They just look so adorable. :)

A pic of me with Tony.

2008-03-25T14:52:00.001-07:00

He was so excited to be a big brother. I think he is still pretty happy now although he probably misses the "good old days." This was a little over a year ago. :)

My babies

2008-03-24T12:35:00.001-07:00

Zachary about 3 months
Anthony 9 months

2008-03-24T12:29:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of Adam and Anthony and his 2nd birthday party with a panda cake I made. I thought it was cute. Not professional I know but I had fun making it. We had it at a park across the street from our house. It's nice cause his birthday is the 5th of July so it is always a nice day for a barbecue. They are so cute.

Fairytaletown 2005

2008-03-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

This is an old picture of Anthony but it is of one of my favorite places. We took a trip down to California in March of 2005 and stayed with my aunt and uncle. This is him sitting on a big bunny at fairytaletown in Sacramento. This was a very fun day. We went here and then to the sacramento zoo. We had lots of fun and Tony had his first taste of cotton candy. He was about 9 months old.

Brandi's blog

2008-03-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

This is my first time blogging here, so I guess I'll just say a little about myself. I'm 23 yrs old, my name is Brandi Clark, formerly of the Johnson variety. I've been married 4 yrs in June to Adam Clark. Our children are Anthony 2 1/2 and Zachary 1. I am a stay-at-home mom and I love my job. :) My husband is working on getting a degree in construction engineering management. Don't ask me to explain exactly what that is cause...I'm still figuring that part out. We live in Oregon, but long to move somewhere else, just haven't figured out where yet. I hope to meet up with some old friends on this site and maybe some new ones. I'm friendly so talk to me. LOL