What Else Can Go Wrong?

Martha had a bad week a couple of weeks ago, so I guess last week was my bad week and going into this week. I was talking to Leah on the phone and telling her how nice things have been lately. Well I jinxed myself. Last week started out great. We had an extra child on Monday. Evan who is Jimmy's friend. His Dad's sister died all of a sudden in the night. She was 30. It makes you think. Anyway they have five children, so the kids had to be farmed out around the ward so that the parents could go to California. We were supposed to have Evan during the day all week, but things changed. Tuesday was fine except that Jimmy was beastly, because Evan didn't come over. He wanted to stay with his older brother and sister and I don't blame him. Poor Kid. Eric took Wednesday, Thursday ( he had it off anyway because of the 24th), and Friday off. So on Wednesday we took Evan and Jimmy to see Wal-E. What a cute movie. Eric and I went to Ward Temple night that night and then after we were going to meet Sue and Steve who had Jimmy at Kerri and Scotts in Clinton to do fireworks. The temple was very relaxing. For once there were no obstacles in the way to get to the temple. Everything happened afterwords. We were going to get some Ice Cream when my cell phone beeped. Steve had left a message saying not to go to Kerri's because Jimmy was throwing up. That is your worst nightmare, Having your kid throwing up for someone else. At least it was Grandma. He started throwing up at 8:00 p.m. and didn't stop until 5:00 the next morning. No sleep for Eric and I. Then he boinged awake at 7:00 his normal wake up time like nothing was wrong. Obviously we didn't have Evan again, so we spent the 24th of July watching the parade on TV and waiting to see if Eric or I would start throwing up. We made it through the day and went over to Mom's to have a picnic dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Clark. Mom fried potatoes, because Grandma Clark has been wanting to fry potatoes and roast hot dogs on a picnic all summer. So we roasted hot dogs on Mom's charcoal grill. Mom also made corn on the cob, but we couldn't bring ourselves to touch it (that was what Jimmy was throwing up). It was a nice picnic and Grandma loved it. Grandma and Grandpa went home and we did fireworks with Mom's neighbors. Cindy's friends Adam and Anna came to. We had tickets to go see the Osmonds with the Tabernacle Choir on Friday night, so Eric and dropped Jimmy off at the Gilmore's. They are the people we bought our house from and they have two boys 10 and 13 who love to play with Jimmy. Eric and I left our car at Mom's and we rode down to Salt Lake with her and Cindy. We met Kerri and Scott and Chelsea and Hailey there. We saw Kristin and Kaitlyn. They were sitting a few rows above us. The concert was fun. I have never seen the Conference Center so rocked out. They had strobe lights and drums and electric guitars. They sang lots of their old songs. Maire sang How Great Thou Art with the choir, but we couldn't take her seriously because she was wearing a long silver, sparkly dress which was fine, but she had some sort of jacket on with a high neck in the back that looked almost like something Queen Elizabeth would wear. Anyway after the concert Eric went to start the Honda at Mom's and it wouldn't start. It would turn over a little and sound like it wanted to start, but then it would just die. So we took Mom's car to pick up Jimmy and Eric and Kurt towed it the next day to Kurt's house. He is going to call his brother to get some sort of schematics on it so they can fix it. He hasn't got a hold of Dave yet and it is Tuesday. So I hope things get resolved. I thought I would have to go to Jury Duty this week, but I just called and the case had been settled, so at least I don't have to do that. Jimmy is playing nicely with Thomas and his Legos, so that is good. Things will turn out all right. They always do.

Cherry Hills

Cindy and Kaitlyn wanted to take Jimmy to Cherry Hills. For two girls who only tolerate little people they sure had lots of fun with him. Eric and I went to make sure Jimmy stayed safe. We could call this the continuation of Kaitlyn's 18th birthday celebration. Yes Kaitlyn is 18!!! We went to Maddox the night before as some sort of revenge against Kurt, because he didn't come to Grandma Clark's for lunch and cupcakes and the singing of Happy Birthday. Kristin got mad and said let's go to Maddox. We met Eric up there after work and Cindy and Mom came along too. We are still not sure why we did this with the price of gas the way it is, but it was fun. Sorry, no pictures though, because I forgot my camera of course. Back to Cherry Hills. Cindy and Kaitlyn went early to enjoy Cardiac Canyon and Eric, Jimmy and Mom and I came an hour later. Jimmy liked Pirates Cove and the Lazy River okay. Then Cindy and Eric and Kaitlyn took him down Cardiac Canyon. He had to go in his own tube, because they don't let you hold your kid anymore. I thought he was going to drown on the first turn, because Cindy was just holding his tube with Eric behind him. He survived though and after that Eric held onto Jimmy's arms to hold him out of the water. He came off really excited and said he loved it. In fact he was so excited we had to take a bathroom break before we went down again. He had gone to the bathroom right before we left, so the excitement was to much. We all got back in line and I was going to go too, but I told Jimmy he would still have to have Eric hold on to him. For some reason he didn't like that and he wouldn't go back on. So he and Eric waited for Cindy, Kaitlyn and I to go down. I told Cindy she couldn't let go of me, because I have a tendency to tip out of my tube. I don't know why. She stuck with me. Thank You Cindy. When I got off I had the most awful shoulder muscle cramps and Cindy had to massage my shoulders for me. I found out later I was sitting on my tube with the handles in the wrong spot, so when I was holding on my shoulders were shoved up under my head, so no wonder it hurt!!! No more Cardiac Canyon for me. We took a break and ate some dinner. Cindy had made a lovely party sub from Subway. After we had eased the hunger pangs we went on the Blue Tubes. Jimmy really loved them. He took turns going down with Eric, Cindy and Kaitlyn. I was still recovering from Cardiac Canyon so I took pictures. One of the tubes was faster than the others and when Jimmy would come down it with someone they would go even faster. Eric only tried to drown him once. I wanted to see what would happen if Cindy and Kaitlyn went down the fast tube together. They were game. They came flying out of that tube. What fun!!! Jimmy was very sad when they closed at 8:30. He was crying big crocodile tears and the life guards were saying we are so sorry, but we have to close. I guess we will have to go again and only do the Blue Tubes. I even got brave and went down them a couple of times with no cramped up shoulders.




Here they are at the top of Cardiac Canyon

You can see why I thought Jimmy was going to drown.
Kaitlyn on the slower blue tube.
Jimmy and Cindy on the faster one. This was Jimmy's favorite of course.

Kaitlyn and Jimmy.
Cindy on the fast one.
Jimmy and Eric.

Here is the video of Cindy and Kaitlyn. You can hear Cindy as they come roaring down.

Jimmy Being Jimmy and Some Crazy Sisters

Eric has kept the legos from when he was a kid and he and Jimmy
have spent many hours putting them together and playing with
them.

Jimmy plays Pretty, Pretty, Princess too. Isn't he beautiful. He was

was over at Kerri's playing with Sage who is Scott's niece who Kerri

babysits.

And of course being a boy he has to make strange faces.

This is from the Reunion and it just shows how silly sisters can be when they get together.

The Reunion

The Day started off very slow for me, but very exciting for everyone else. Eric went and helped his sister move and Dan took a crew of people boating at 7:00 a.m. I think they had fun. Kaitlyn finally decided she likes boating. Jon's girls had fun and Abigal was very protective of Jayla on the tubes when Davis started tormenting her. Things didn't start happening at my house until about 1:30. We started things out by singing the National Anthem. This is a Clark Family Reunion and you can't have a Clark family Reunion without singing. Then Grandpa Clark said an opening prayer like only Grandpa can. We then ate lunch. It was Albertson's chicken and various salads and chips and drinks. We met Spencer and Amanda. Amanda is a very nice girl. Jon brought his balloons and made many wonderful creations ranging from a dragon to a Lion riding a bike. Jimmy and Matilda and Eliza went swimming in Jimmy's pool. Eliza then lived in the swimming pool for the rest of the day. We made hats with three corners and then of course we had to sing the song. Kristin and Kurt made ice cream and it was very yummy and soft. Then Dan, Scott, Eric, Cindy, Tanner and Davis went off the the Rocky MT Raceway to enjoy the crowds and the heat and the noise. You notice Cindy was the only female to attend. Go Cindy! The rest of us mostly women and Jon and Kurt stayed and visited for awhile(Kurt did not visit, he took a nap in my basement). Grandpa got tired and Catherine took him home and then came back. Jon left and so it was The Four Sisters and Grandma and Kaitlyn and Jayla and Stephanie and me left (Kurt by this time decided to leave after his wonderful nap and make some medicine deliveries). Catherine had brought slides of her trip back east. We had borrowed a projector and a screen from out Stake and Eric showed me how to set it up, but of course I couldn't do it. I tried calling Eric, but the races were to noisy and he didn't hear his phone, so my wonderful father-in-law Steve came to the rescue. It was just one button that I needed to push, but thanks to Steve anyway. The Slide show was very nice and it was nice to see Catherine's family. We miss them. Then we cleaned up and everyone headed for home. It was nice to see family and visit with everyone. Having it my backyard was stressful, but I wouldn't change it for anything. It almost had a feel like when we used to get together at Grandma and Grandpa's in Woods Cross. Thanks for taking this picture Mom. ( I am being sarcastic)
Enjoying the shade under the trees.
Playing in the sandbox.
A far away look at everyone.
A closer look.

The flag and pools. Gotcha Catherine.
Tanner's dragon.
Kaitlyn and Jayla coloring.
Spencer is wearing the Concert shirt and Amanda is sitting next to him with Elizabeth on the other side.

Wet Pets
Grandma Clark and Michelene.

Making Ice Cream in the Garage.

Steve to the rescue!!!!

I've been tagged by Kerri.
Okay here are the rules:You link back to the person who tagged you. Post these rules on your blog.Share six unimportant things about yourself. Tag six random people at the end of your entry. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs Enjoy the results!
Six unimportant things about me:

1. I am obsessed right know with keeping my kitchen floor swept and mopped. It drives my mother crazy. She walks into my house and says it is plenty clean and does not need to be swept twice a day and mopped twice a week. Jimmy makes such a mess when he is eating that it makes sweeping the floor twice a day mandatory. My Aunt Kristin would be proud of me though.

2. When I was three or four I got a popcorn seed stuck up my nose. My Mom didn't know about it and I obviously didn't care, but when I started smelling moldy my Mom had to investigate. Luckily she was able to squeeze it out.

3. Eric and I bought our first lawn mower last night.

4. I watch the ground ahead of me for snakes even in the city. This comes from growing up on a farm and having to be aware of what was in front of me.

5. I love shoes. I have had to curb my obsession since Jimmy, but I can live vicaresouly through my sister Cindy and my cousin Kaitlyn, since they like shoes too.

6. My high school graduating class had 27 kids in it. Comes from living on a farm and going to a very rural school.


I don't know six people that blog but I will tag the people I do know. Martha, Leah and Kristin.

Fourth of July and Getting Ready For the Reunion

Wow!!! Its been a busy weekend. We decorated the back yard for the reunion and the 3rd. We went to the Layton City Parade. We had a multi-family thing going on at the parade. My Mom was there. Eric's Parents and Brother and his wife and her parents were also there. If thats not confusing I don't know what is. It was a typical parade except there was some cloud cover and a little bit of a breeze that cooled things off. We went over to Eric's parents for a barbeque dinner and then over to Mom's to watch the fireworks. When we first got to Mom's Kurt, Kristin, Kaitlyn, Catherine, Scott, Jayla, Tanner and Grandma and Grandpa Clark were there. We watched a few of the fireworks that Mom's neighbor Ryan bought for $150 at Sams Club. Mom's neighborhood all went in on them and so did Eric and I. Catherine and Scott and Jayla and Tanner stayed to watch Layton City's fire works while everyone else went home. It was okay for a fireworks show. We set off more of Ryan's fireworks and then headed home for some sleep before the big day.......The Reunion. This is Eric's first time on our roof.

He is putting up a beautiful Fourth of July thing.

All of the people in our group at the parade.
Cannon and Jimmy keeping cool.
Steve and Bryce Ragland

The parade is just about to start.
Dylan singing with his singing group in the parade. He is the

one on the left waving.
This is our beautifully decorated patio.

Stars in the trees.

Swimming Lessons

Jimmy has been taking swimming lessons for the last two weeks. I put him in the pre-school beginner class and he was with a bunch of 3 year olds, but he had to start somewhere and he was afraid of the water and getting his face wet. Whenever Eric and I would try to get him to float on his back or have him let go of us he would clutch us and scream. So he needed to be in the way beginners. He did okay for the first 6 days. His teachers Shantel and Shirelle could get him not to clutch them and blow bubbles in the water, but he wouldn't stretch out and try to swim. He would keep his feet planted on the ground and crouch down and waddle like duck and say he was swimming. Then all of a sudden on Wednesday he started dunking his head under the water and stretched his legs out and started kicking his feet and moving his arms like he should. I wasn't expecting him to start swimming immediatly and perfectly when he started his class, but I at least wanted him to stick his face in the water and flail around like a normal kid. So he finally does that on the last two days of his lessons. Go figure. Thats just Jimmy though. He has never done things the way other children do, he has to do it his own way. He is the boy without a shirt with blue swimming shorts with a white stripe down the side. He has had that swimming suit for 2 years and he still hasn't grown into it.








At the beginning of this video Jimmy's instuctor is holding him and then he flips over onto his stomach and then he gradually fishes towards us.

A Fun Game

From a friend of mine...play along!!Here are the directions:1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses. 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. :) If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Staying Warm?, A Block Party, Uncle Lloyd's Funeral, and More Firsts with My Hair

Wow! Its so nice not to have to talk about Montana. We have been busy anyway, so here we go.

Jimmy was cold after swimming in Mom's Pool so he is "Trying to Stay Warm" in the sun. Cindy has a friend at work who makes these hula-hoops. We were calling it the circle of safety from the water gun Mom's neighbor Liberty was shooting.
These next pictures are from a block party that my Mom's neighborhood had on June 27th and somehow Eric and I were invited to join them. It was lots of fun. My Mom has some really good neighbors. We just barbecued our own meat and had potluck bring whatever you want salad or dessert or whatever. Eric and I were in charge of the water. Thanks to Kristin for her big orange water coolers. We also roasted marshmallows over charcoal. Then we played toss the water balloon over the net with towels and croquet. Mom's next door neighbors had their speakers outside with music playing and somehow everyone started doing the Macarena. Eric even joined in at the end. We ended the night telling jokes. It was great fun and it just goes to show you can be silly and goofy and have lots of fun without alcohol. Most of Mom's apartment complex is LDS and they have lots of fun together.

This is Mom and Laura.

This is Jimmy with wet pants after he sat in the cooler with water from the water balloons.
Playing Croquet
This is a cool picture. Jimmy's sandals light up and we caught the lighting just right and it looks like his feet are on fire!!!!

Now, Uncle Lloyd's funeral. It was on June 28th. Kristin, Kurt, Kaitlyn, Grandma and Grandpa Clark and I rode down to Sandy in the van. The funeral was very nice. Uncle Lloyd was a great man, but he suffered so much the past couple of years. His daughter Karen talked about memories the children and grandchildren had about him. It seemed like he was always looking for ways to make life fun. He used to have his kids jump off of the top of the fridge into his arms. He was always happy to come home and work with the Dairy Cows and he would whistle all of the time. The Grandchildren did all of the musical numbers, including one granddaughter in law who played to flute. Bishop Steve Satchwell was the speaker and he likened our journey through life to a swimming experience he had where he was swimming across a reservoir and how hard it was to orient himself by landmarks instead of having nice straight lines to follow in a swimming pool. He said you that you just get so tired at some points that that you just have to hold on and float as best you can until you have the energy to make it. Uncle Lloyd was buried up at Linquidst's in Layton, so we had to troop all of the way back up to Layton for the burial and then over to Steve Satchwell's ward building in Kaysville. So we did lots of driving. Grandma and Grandpa did really well. Grandpa didn't get sick, but Grandma fell as she was getting into the van to go to the funeral and she had a bloody leg and stocking through the whole day.

The Pallbearers were mostly grandsons.

This is the flower bouquet Grandma Clark sent.

Standing around in the heat. Aunt Betty is in the black dress with her back to us and Tom is the white haired man in the green shirt.
I think these are mostly Satchwells
My Mom talking to Uncle Vaughn, I think. She is wearing pants, because she didn't go to the funeral, because she had to work, but she was able to run over to the cemetery for the graveside service in the middle of her work day.
More standing in the heat.
Uncle Lloyd's casket.

This is Dan and Curtis.
Grandma and Ora and Vaughn. Out of all the brothers and sisters Vaughn seemed the most spry.
The Luncheon.

Okay, the last thing. I have been going grey a little bit and I told Cindy to tell me when it was time to start coloring my hair. At the Block Party she was standing over me examining my hair and she said it was time, so here are my highlights. I have never colored my Hair before. I guess I like it, everybody else does.