Holy SNOW!

Good 'ol Boise.... Part of the reason we moved here is because of the fabulous weather--especially the mild winters. To quote from the realidaho website: "The Treasure Valley sees very little snow. What snowfall we do get usually comes at night and early morning and is typically melted by noon. Every six to ten years we get a heavy snow year that can leave an inch or two of snow on the ground for several weeks. Because there is so little snowfall, roads are mostly dry all winter long in the valley. In fact, the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) does not own a single dedicated plow truck!"

Yep, you read that right! NO snowplows!! Now these two pictures are from the very first snowfall of the year. See how visible the ground is? That's usually the max--give or take an inch. So imagine our surprise when we received a snow storm! The first one gave us about 6 inches that started to melt the next day, but quickly iced over once evening hit (no plows), making morning commutes verrry interesting. They DO have trucks that spray liquid icemelt, but by my count, I'd be surprised if they have more than two of them.

Last night we received another few inches of snow. So unfortunate. However, it's been cloudy enough that there is no additional ice. But it doesn't stop there! We are expected to receive another 4-6 inches between tomorrow and Christmas Day.

Here are a couple pictures of our current status:

*Note: Yes, the toys are outside because the kids are usually still able to play with them.

Now, I know that for many of you who live in much colder, snowier places, this is no big deal. In fact I bet you'd be laughing in my face. But you have to remember that people out here don't even own shovels. It has been very interesting to watch everyone battling over the 10 shovels that Walmart has in stock, and it's not even close to over. In fact, as I finish this post, the snowflakes are beginning to fall...again.

Halloween--Yeah, it's been that long!

Hi folks,
It's been forever, so I thought an update would be good.
Here's some pictures from Halloween! Jayni was "Super-girl" and Aleks was Batman. We are raising a couple of superhero freaks!
This year instead of going from house to house (we froze last year!) we went to the neighborhood "Trunk-or-Treat" at Seasons Park. The kids came home with quite a haul! We had lots of fun.

Okay, so the picture layout looks retarded, but I'm not going to spend the time to fix it!

Thanksgiving: We spent Thanksgiving with just the four of us, so no pictures cuz they wouldn't be all that exciting! I spent pretty much all day in the kitchen (of course I didn't mind!), Nate spent the day being sick, and the kids spent the day watching movies and bugging Daddy, with a little bit of playing in between. Despite Nate being sick, we had a pretty fun day!

Making History

Yes, I'm so excited!! Heritage Makers has been featured in the December issue of the "O" Magazine, in the famed "O List" section! This is an amazing time!

Egg(less) Nog

If you know me well, you are probably well aware of the fact that a small part of my love for Fall is because that's when egg nog first becomes socially acceptable during the year! I love egg nog. I recently came across a recipe that immediately reminded me of my little sis. She is disgusted at the notion of drinking raw eggs. Well, Jenna, this recipe is for you and for all you nog-lovers out there:

1/2 gallon cold milk, divided
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant French vanilla pudding mix
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large bowl, whisk 3/4 cup milk and pudding mix until smooth. Whisk in the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the remaining milk. Refrigerate until serving.

News Update

I am so shamefully behind on posting important stuff--like family announcements, etc.

So here's what we're happy to announce:

On September 11, 2008, Nate's brother Mike finally arrived home from serving a triumphant mission in Missouri! We are so happy to have him back home!!

My sister Heather is getting married to a great guy on November 21st! Now, I've only met him once, but he definitely seems 100% head-over-heels in love with her and seems to makes her genuinely happy. Therefore, I am very happy for the almost-newlyweds, and wish them an abundance of wedded bliss!
Sorry, no picture of them yet.

Okay. Next, and yes, the following information is true and verifiable: Nate's brother, Mike, is indeed getting married to his high school sweetheart, Megan in December. Yes, December!! Holy cow. We are very excited for them, and can't wait to watch them launch into their new life together.

Lastly, my kids are so excited to have 2 new cousins early next year! Nate's sister, Melissa is pregnant with her first, a little boy; my sister, Jenna is having her first girl! We are all excited to get to know them, and watch out, cuz Jayni just wants to play mommy and dress them up.

So I think that's all the super important stuff. If I left something out, I am SO sorry! Just let me know, and I'll be sure to make note of it.

Love to you all!

Jayni's Funny

Last night for dinner we took the kids to McDonald's. They each got their standard Happy Meal and headed to the Playland to run off some energy. First of all, I must say that Jayni is a very good big sister. She made sure that Aleks was right behind her the entire time, even though there were other kids there that they quickly befriended (will that last forever?).

Anyway, to our surprise the toys in the Happy Meals were completely overlooked for the first time (EVER!), and neither one asked for them until we got into the car. Now, if you're current on Happy Meal toys you would know that the girl theme is the Wizard of Oz, the boys is Batman. While I was opening Jayni's toy she asked me what it was. I told her "It's the Wizard of Oz." Once unwrapped, I handed the good Wizard to her, and upon turning around heard her say in hushed amazement, "Wow! The Lizard God!"

Oprah Loves Heritage Makers!

Okay, most of you should know by now that I quietly run my own independent business with Heritage Makers, hence the links on our blog.... Anyway, I absolutely LOVE Heritage Makers as a business and especially the products because of the power it has to bring families together. It is a new company, born in 2005, that has grown exponentially over the past few years.

Whether you love Oprah or not, you've got to admire her taste. And guess what Oprah loves now? Her Heritage Makers book! HM Consultant Brenda Kruse made a special book for her and Oprah called. Check out the story at: http://www.buildyourheritage.blogspot.com/

This is just one of the ways in which lives are touched, and changed and comforted through the power of story. As a Heritage Makers consultant, I hear things like this all the time. It's just really fun to hear it from Oprah! Stay tuned in the coming months for even more from Oprah about Heritage Makers....

I love what I do, and I think my Heritage Studio is the happiest place on earth. It's the place where I write my stories in the present, create permanent records that pass MY values on to future generations, and link my children with their past so they know who they are and where they came from. It's a place where I am creative. Pictures without stories are memories lost. Without stories, there is no heritage. Is there something that you need to start creating today?

Heritage Makers is poised to launch a Heritage movement across the country. This company has a vision and a mission like no other company I have seen. I am part of this movement and that vision, but I need help. Heritage Makers is about to go HUGE nationwide and when you logon to your Heritage studio today to create something you will see why, but we need more consultants!

I NEED people to help me. Have you ever considered doing what I do? Do you know someone who might be? Please call me. I can't think of anything more meaningful than a story under every tree and a book in every home this year for the holidays. Please let me know if I can help you make this happen for your family this year.

I have been tending to other pressing matters in recent months and haven't hit the sales goals I set for myself. Help me do it this month! If you need great Christmas gift ideas, this is the place!

Thanks for reading!

Family Reunion Fun!

We had a great old time in September rallying as the Clark Clan in Utah. We were very fortunate to have most of the family there! Just missing our dear brother who is serving well in Argentina, and a couple of brothers-in-law. Tim was in and out as work allowed, and Joe graciously offered to stay behind so Mie and the kids come down even though they were up to their elbows in construction deadlines. We were very thankful and delighted to see everyone!!

Lagoon Day. Speaks for itself, doesn't it? Lots and lots of Icees, crazy chaos.... It was pretty fun. I admit that I don't love amusement parks, but it was definitely worth going. Jayni is a ride maniac! She stuck with Grandma and Abby--the daredevils--just so she could go on every ride possible. Aleks, well he gets car sick just driving around our subdivision, so he went on a couple very non-threatening rides, and of course, Rattlesnake Rapids (he loves water).

I still need pictures from everyone so I can make my book of our family reunion. Heritage Makers rocks! Speaking of which, I also had the pleasure of visiting our Grandma Clark in Highland. It was a special trip because we hadn't seen her in a very long time, and also because I made a Heritage Makers book just for her with the help of our extended family. It turned out beautifully, and it was such a rewarding experience for me as I put it all together with the help of my mom and dad. There is so much love for this amazing woman, and it was made so clear to me what a positive impact she has made in the lives of her children and grandchildren as I read through the letters that were submitted for the book. It was a touching experience to watch my grandma sift through the memories on each page, watching her smile and giggle at pictures of her young children. I feel very blessed to represent a company that allows me to make such a difference in the lives of others.

On a different note, we also uncovered some very important information while vacationing with the fam. My big sis is getting hitched! Of course it was off the record at the time, but shortly after our fun-filled week, we received a call from Abby, who was very excited to announce that she is getting a dad. We were able to meet Tige while in Logan, and he is hopelessly devoted to my Heather, and a very nice guy at that. So here's to a great wedding in February '09!

More to come soon! Hopefully.

Trying to Catch Up...

We've had a lot going on in the last two months or so.... Lots of trips and vacation time!

First, I had the pleasure of visiting my parents in North Carolina, and quickly fell in love with the beautiful community they live in. It was so sad to leave! In the short time I was there we visited the ever-beautiful Biltmore House (an American landmark NOT to be missed!), ventured onto Fort Bragg, where my Dad works, visited with one of my favorite aquaintances (Karen Larsen), hung out with my cute niece, Abby, and so much more! Got some pictures to share:

The Biltmore House, Asheville, NC: contains 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, and a bowling alley! And for all you primpers, it has a healthy number of bathrooms--62, if I remember correctly!








A huge sunflower field on the Biltmore farm.


My Parents' lovely home!


At the marina just down the road (above and below).





Nice golf course, eh? Just a little farther down the road from the marina.
Nate can't wait to set foot on this course.


Hanging out at the swimming pool. Abby is quite the water baby!



This is my favorite picture. Dad and Abby did lots of canonballs and lots of diving.



Caught my dad working so diligently....




and quickly interrupted for this photo op and then LUNCH!


I had an incredible time, thanks to my mom and dad. Can't wait to visit again!

Summer!

I can hardly believe how fast summer is disappearing. In a way, I think I'm ready ready for the Fall season...the only temperatures we've had here are 'hot' and 'hotter'. It's definitely been an adjustment for us this year--I noticed there really isn't much of a Spring here. We went from winter to spring to summer all in the course of about a week! I know it could be worse, and I'm so glad it's not!!

We've had lots of fun between the hot, lazy days and the hotter run-through-the-sprinklers days. We've visited most of the parks in our city, as well as a couple favorites in Boise that, of course, have a huge playground. We've had fun evenings filled with food, family and friends. We even tried "camping" in the backyard (which didn't last because the kids wouldn't go to sleep). Here's some pictures of our summer fun so far:

Welcome to our NEW Blog!

Due to recent technical difficulties, we have decided to discontinue our very lonely, poorly kept-up family blog and replace it with this one. It's newer, fresher, need I say cuter, and has a better picture to boot!

We will do our best to keep it up-to-date, but make no promises as we tend to be pretty dysfunctional when it comes to being organized! But we're all about possibility, and you know what they say about possibility....