Happy New Year's Party!

On New Year's Eve, my parents hosted a New Year's Party with great food and snacks, games, and lots of fun!

I love this picture-- this is the same height difference we've had forever, probably since we were 9, 10 and 11. Funny thing is Sarah is youngest, and tallest, and Alicia is oldest and shortest. And I'm pretty much smack-dab in the middle!

Fun games-- BANG, left right center, and Word on the Street

My dad usually has a little nap (always on the floor) during these late night parties. Who can blame him?

The ball just dropped: Happy New Year!

(I think my brother is kissing Mel right now.)

We are excited for 2010!

Christmas in Arizona with the Clarks

It was so fun to hang out with Jeff's family for a few days. We got to see everyone except one brother in law (hope you are feeling better, Chad) and enjoyed everyday!

There were tons of grandkids running around, so we found the best place to visit was at the PARK!

Tyler loved all his cousins (mostly boys) and especially Kamarie.

Out of 13 grandkids, there are only 3 girls!!

Trevon and Keenan- the oldest of the bunch

we had a lot of slide fun. Jackson mastered the slide while in AZ and smiles or has his mouth open the whole time!

His Christmas pjs were covered in dust by the time we left, he was crawling all around the playground.

Present time!!

I love how the boys are huddling over their new cars!

The last day we were there, we went to another super fun park with a carousel and choo-choo train!!

more slides, of course

and even an elephant to ride!

We had so much fun! We always miss our family since we live far away, and cherish the times when we are together!

p.s. Kaylynn or Kara-- can you send me a big family and grandkids picture?! Thanks!

Christmas in California with the Wolfes

The boys did great in the flight down. It seems every time it gets easier. We should just start coming down every month now. Sound good mom and dad?

On Christmas Eve, Santa came to visit. My boys were a little scared...

Tyler talked to him about 3 feet away, very quietly...

And if he got any closer, looked a little worried.

Luckily, Santa wasn't offended and still came while we were all sleeping to fill our stockings and bring us toys!

Tyler got this Tiger alive that he is actually scared of too.

I didn't take very many pictures of Christmas day. My dad always says, "You can have a good time, or you can have pictures of a bad time!!" HAHA. That always makes me laugh. Anyway, I had to take pictures of this Batman rain gear that my parents got him. Isaac got a firefighter outfit, and Lily got Hello Kitty. Presents went on pause while they had a little parade around the pool. Somehow I didn't get pictures of that though!! Did you Mel?

We had tons of fun!

How I've Missed You!

Dear Blog,

Sorry I've been away for so long. I have New Year's Resolutions. None of them are to update you because I'm already too good at that. I have been cleaning and organizing, prioritizing my time, and spending one-on-one time with my 3 boys.

Since we've been back, I have:

-Moved Tyler and Jackson in the same room. I needed my sewing room back and a calm master bedroom space. The boys have done pretty well together and I had to massively organize their closet to make all their clothes, toys and furniture fit in one room. But I feel like it is the right thing. I've solidified their nap/sleeping schedule and they are already bonding more.

-Cleaned my bedroom and bathroom. If you've seen my master bed/bath in the last 6 months, I'm so sorry. It contained all of the following: bed, clothes, sewing machine, measuring/cutting area, inventory, play place for the kids to sit while I work, mess! They say don't put work in your bedroom, so true. I could never relax. I moved it all back into the bedroom Jackson used to be in and now it is all under control. I walk into my room and breathe. I love it. If you'd like a tour of my house now, I'm not ashamed anymore, I'll show you!

-Taught preschool twice. We did the letter "p" and square shapes. We had a blast!

(p-post coming soon!)

-Taught a private art lesson. I am going to be teaching art lessons again! I'm so excited. I love all the resources there are online now! I'll show you some great projects when we get to them.

-Worked on orders. It's amazing what a 2 week break can do to your stress level. I left frazzled, overwhelmed, and sick (I think mostly from exhaustion.) I came back with a killer cleaning bug (think nesting hormones- luckily it's not from pregnancy this time), and tons of energy to get it all done.

I am determined to become a better person. My 2010 goals include reading my scriptures daily, saying personal and family prayers daily, spending time with each family member individually, keep my house presentable and allow for the spirit to dwell, and do something nice for someone else daily. It's amazing how when that is what I pray for, Heavenly Father allows for me to be in the path of someone who's in need. I have already had 2 great experiences where I have been in the right place at the right time to help someone who needed it.

When I make time for the important things first, my attitude is better and somehow there is always enough time to get it all done.

I still need to update my blog from our trip: Wolfe Christmas, Clark Christmas, Jackson's Birthday, New Years, so much to do! I'll have to do it slowly so that I can keep doing the important things in the process. Self control is a hard one when it comes to spending time online!!

I have loved reading your blogs and thanks for the updates. I love how close I feel to family members and friends who I haven't seen in so long!

Love,

Kirsti

How cute are we?

Ok, I know a girl who takes amazing photographs. My sister-in-law is Kara Layne. Two hours with this girl and my family looks adorable. We walked through the park holding hands and convincing Tyler he wanted to smile and sit still. We bribed him with tigers and toys and McDonald's. In the end, we got some really great shots!

Click here and see our photo session: http://www.karalayneblog.com/journal/2009/12/29/phoenix-family-photographer-the-clark-family.html

I have to explain to you that both my boys have had horrible colds with disgusting noses and dry rosy cheeks. Kara's photo editing skills are great and we all look like we have crystal clear skin and bright eyes. I mean, I wish I could say I always look this good, but with a little bit of Kara Layne, I could convince you that I'm a model.

Thanks so much Kara for sharing your talent with us. One of my 2010 resolutions is to have family photos in my home. Now I can fill my empty picture frames with the ones I love most in this world.

Why I'm excited for Tuesday

1. Because hopefully by then my cold will be gone.

2. Because that is the day I get on an airplane (and you know how much I love airplanes. Especially with kids. I get nauseous. I've had to use the barf bags. More than once.)

3. Because I will get to re-meet my brother-in-law who I have really only met twice. The first time I was really sick and he was strategically keeping his distance. The second time was the wedding and for some reason he was paying way more attention to my little sister than me.

4. Because I just bought this game and I am excited. I LOVE playing games with my family.

5. Because on Tuesday I will get to body slam my mom and dad, and of course, my little sister and new brother. Can't wait!!

8 more days...

Raking Leaves

The other day we decided to pay attention to our yard and rake the 5 billion leaves...

If we had known it would be this much fun, we would have done it sooner.

Tyler got his own "rake" and "helped"

And then we jumped in the pile and took a nap.

We've been so good this week that Santa brought a reindeer for us to play with!

More Tyler Funnies

Today for lunch, I made Tyler a quesadilla. He was pulling it apart to only eat the pieces of tortilla with lots of cheese. I heard him say to himself, "Cheese on this one. No cheese on this one. Why not? I don't know." It was so funny, just the way he was pointing to each piece and then finished the conversation off with I don't know, in a very cute, so sad that he didn't know sort of way.

Lately when I put Tyler to bed, he keeps calling for me and asks for something different every time. Apple juice, a different colored binky, his shark book, and even the "mommy tiger" that he asked Santa for. I haven't been able to figure out a way to get him to stop calling for me. Tonight, I was so tired when I put him to bed that I just gave him apple juice. Then I figured we'd brush his teeth the first time he called for me. So I told him to call me when he's ready to brush his teeth. I haven't heard a peep out of him all night.

Today we went to Target for a couple gifts and some groceries. I had a lot of time to look around, so for fun we started in the toy section. We made our way around the isles and he insisted on walking and not being in the cart. {Which was fine with me, because Jackson now knows how to wiggle right out of the seat buckle in the front of the cart, so I had the kind with the extra 2 seats facing the cart-- you know what kind I'm talking about? So, I had Jackson strapped in one and of course, the bag of Target popcorn strapped in the other seat. I should have taken a picture, my cart was a pretty funny sight. Jackson is hardly tall enough to see the top of his head above the seat and he'd put his hand across to grab a handful of popcorn. ok I'm getting off subject...} Anyway, so we make our way to the bike isle and Tyler finds a nice tricycle that looks like it needs a test drive. I peacefully completed my shopping with a baby eating popcorn and an almost 3 year old driving behind me in a green John Deere trike. What a sight to see. I LOVE my target trips!!

Just in case you haven't been to Target with 2-3+ children lately, here is the latest invention:

which I think is so smart since, evidently this isn't allowed.

What's up with that?

My babies

Some days I am so overwhelmed with how much I love my babies that it makes me cry. Just randomly, in the middle of the day, I start getting teary-eyed {so of course, I have to tackle one of them so I can laugh instead}. This week I have been hearing so many tragic stories of loosing a family member and I don't know what I would do without any of my boys. These stories make me realize that I have to take every single moment and appreciate that we are together as a family.

I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who gave me two healthy, happy children. I know that their spirits were meant to come to me and to Jeff. They make me a better person, more kind and gentle, more patient and loving. More aware of the small miracles and the simple joys. I love them. They are ours. I am so grateful that I get to be a mom and a wife.

Clark Thanksgiving Top Ten:

10.Riding the scooter around and around in Grandma and Grandpa's garage.

9. Taking a trip up to the mountains "that way" as Tyler would say, and point to the mountains that are visible from inside the house. I don't think he's ever seen mountains that he can remember!

8. Jackson naked except for the turkey bib for Thanksgiving dinner.

7. Gamma and Gappa: aren't they just the cutest grandparents ever?

6. Having my parents all to myself. Sorry siblings, it was MY turn!! :)

5. My boys. Love love love them.

4. Hoodie Parties. Mom, put your hood back on!

3. The fish that made Tyler scream like a little girl. Why is he holding his mouth, you ask? Probably because his dad just said "kiss it!"

2. Having enough free time to be silly.

1. Beating everyone {except my mom} at Banana Grams. Great game, by the way if you are looking for a good present- mix between scrabble and a crossword puzzle. So fun!

I never take enough pictures on vacation. Between the craziness of the kids and the chance to veg-out, I just don't!

A couple other highlights that are picture-less:

• My grandparent's home full of people I love and a beautifully delicious Thanksgiving dinner!
• Turkey avocado sandwiches at Wolfe's Market
• A day at Disneyland (pictures to come from my mom's camera!)
• Hot tubbing in my parent's gorgeous backyard
• Sleeping on my sister's very comfortable bed :)
• The fact that we will be back in 18 days {but who's counting?}