December 2011

As 2011 draws to a close, we reflect on some of the highlights of the year.

One of Tom’s highlights was purchasing a bari sax and adding it to his collection of reed instruments. He has already gigged with it several times and recorded with it. Another highlight was crossing the finish line at the Indianapolis Marathon in October. Tom continues to work at IU, gig, teach, record, lead our family, and teach the Deacons Quorum at church.

Nathan's (18) big highlight this year was to cross the finish line at the Indianapolis Marathon like his dad. Nathan also earned his Eagle award in Boy Scouts, became a member of the National Honor Society, won an Outstanding Performer award in jazz band and is also a member of the Leaders of Tomorrow organization. He recently applied for BYU Provo and Idaho and is waiting for the results.

Wesley (15) continues to develop his bass skills. He plays the upright bass in concert band and jazz band at school, and studies the electric bass privately. In addition to the bass, Wesley has progressed to the rank of brown belt in Taekwondo. One of Wesley’s unique talents is do vocal impressions. He has developed a repertoire of sound effects and people he can imitate. He keeps us laughing at the dinner table. Wesley continues to grow spiritually, intellectually and physically. He is close to 6’0 now.

Camilla (11) would probably say that the 2011 highlight was receiving her iPod Touch for Christmas. She inherited her love for all things “gadget" from her dad. She needs some fun time, because she is world's hardest worker. She is meticulous about getting her homework done, her piano practicing in, her teeth flossed, her clothes set out the night before, getting her reading in every day, etc. Her hard work has paid off, because she gets good grades and is becoming quite a good pianist. She even accompanied the Primary Children's Choir at church on their program last October. Last fall she also earned her purple belt/black stripe in Taekwondo.

Heather (6) has one HUGE highlight. After deciding to stop talking for almost five months, (because, according to Heather, her voice batteries stopped working) she began talking again RIGHT before beginning kindergarten. Whew! In some ways, Heather is quite precocious in other ways utterly impish. She is clever, funny, stubborn, and teaches us a lot about patience. She continues to attend the Children's Therapy Clinic for OT, PT and ST. She's progressing socially and developmentally.

Michelle's biggest highlight for 2011 was going to Hawaii for a week with her sisters. She spent a lot of time laughing, relaxing, snorkeling, and enjoying the amazingly beautiful scenery. In November Michelle started substitute teaching for the Monroe County Community Schools and absolutely LOVES it! She loves the flexibility of the schedule, bringing in an income, but mostly loves the kids. Perhaps one day she’ll go back to school and get her teaching license. As you all know, Michelle is always in the pursuit of a thinner version of herself. Michelle got into a really good groove with waking up at 4:30 AM, to spend 1½ hours at the gym: which includes the elliptical and weight lifting. In addition to that, she's been eating much healthier. She lost 81 pounds, but still hasn’t reached her goal. Her New Year's Resolution for 2012 is to resume the workout routine and get the rest of the weight off. Anyone surprised by this resolution?

We really look forward to a wonderful 2012. As always, we're grateful for amazing and supportive family and friends and wish you all well in the coming year.

Check us out on YouTube too!!

Much love,

Tom, Michelle, Nathan, Wesley, Camilla and Heather Clark

December 2010

Happy New Year!

As 2010 draws to a close, we reflect on some of the highlights of the year.

One of Tom's highlights was purchasing his dream car: a 2011 metallic blue Mini Cooper S. He had been wishing, hoping, dreaming, planning and sacrificing for many years for this car, then finally did it! The third car has been a blessing with three drivers and six busy schedules. Other highlights for Tom were running another half-marathon-this time with Nathan. Tom continues to work at IU, gig, teach, record, lead our family, and conduct our church choir.

Nathan's big highlight this year was to get his driver's license. He also inherited Tom's old Honda Civic. It's been so convenient to have another driver in the home. Nathan has also nearly completed all of his requirements for his Eagle in Boy Scouts. We're shooting for an Eagle Court of Honor in March. Nathan (17) continues to enjoy running, playing the saxophone in his advanced Jazz Band at school, and especially loves Physics. Lately he's also been earning some extra cash by tutoring in math. He obviously did NOT inherit his mother's brains.

Wesley (14) has really become proficient in playing the bass this year. He plays the upright bass in his 8th grade orchestra class at school, and the electric bass in jazz band after school. In addition to the bass, Wesley has progressed to the rank of brown belt in Taekwondo. A kind of fun highlight was when he and Nathan dressed up as a police officer and escaped convict for a Halloween party. They won 1st prize. Recently, Wes has shot up in height and has passed up every family member. He's reaching close to 5'10. He obviously did NOT inherit his mother's height.

Camilla (10) would probably say that the 2010 highlight was receiving the Xbox Kinect for Christmas. She has so much fun playing the games on that new "toy." She needs some fun time, because she is world's hardest worker. She is meticulous about getting her homework done, her piano practice in, her teeth flossed, her clothes set out the night before, her reading in every day, etc. Her hard work has paid off, because she gets good grades and is becoming quite a good pianist. She even accompanied the Primary Children's Choir at church on their program last November. Last fall she also just received her purple belt/white stripe in Taekwondo.

Heather (5) has MANY highlights. Five year-olds are just excited about life and everything, to Heather, is a highlight. Birthdays, snow, Halloween, Christmas, stuffed animals, people dressed in costumes, merry-go-rounds, trips to museums, elevators, swimming, playgrounds, etc. Heather is at such a fun age. She continues to attend the Children's Therapy Clinic for OT, PT and ST. She also attends a developmental preschool five days a week for several hours. She's progressing socially and developmentally. We think she's the cutest and funniest little five year-old in the world. But she also has an impish side to her-which is also kinda cute. She definitely inherited that from her mother.

Michelle's highlights were probably getting her eye fixed, singing, taking a family trip to the East Coast with the family over the summer, and losing some weight. As you all know, Michelle is always in the pursuit of a thinner version of herself. Michelle got into a really good groove with waking up at 5:00 AM, to spend 1½ hours at the gym: which includes swimming, elliptical, biking and weight lifting. In addition to that, she's been eating much healthier. But she had to take a month break from the workout to recover from her eye surgery, which was on November 30. Her New Year's Resolution is to resume the workout routine and get the rest of the weight off. Anyone surprised by this resolution?

As mentioned earlier, our family took a major family trip over the summer to the East Coast. We hit hot spots in Ohio, then off to Niagara Falls, the Sacred Grove and Palmyra in New York. While there, we also got to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant. We then hit Boston, Plymouth and Salem in Mass, then the big NYC. Next was Philadelphia, Washington DC, then our final stop before heading back home was Gatlinburg, Tennessee: Ober Gatlinburg. This place is SO FUN!

We really look forward to a wonderful 2011. As always, we're grateful for amazing and supportive family and friends and wish you all well in the coming year.

Check us out on YouTube too!!

Much love,

Tom, Michelle, Nathan, Wesley, Camilla and Heather Clark

December 2008

Happy New Year Everyone!

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward, as we are, to a wonderful 2009! Here are some of our highlights from 2008 and some things that we look forward to in 2009:

Nathan started high school and enjoys playing the saxophone in jazz band. I think Nathan hopes to have a lot of parties in our new basement in 2009!

Wesley is learning the electric and upright bass while in 6th grade. I think Wes hopes to collect as many Star Wars action figures that he can in 2009.

Camilla started piano this year and does well in 3rd grade. In 2009, I think she hopes to become a proficient drummer in Rock Band 2—she's well on her way.

Heather aged out of the First Steps program and started a developmental preschool. I think that Heather plans to adopt every stuffed animal in existence in the new year. (My job is to figure out where to put them all . . .)

Tom has nearly completed our basement! I think he hopes for a vacation in 2009 where he can sleep for 2 weeks without interruption.

Michelle has learned a lot as her ward's RS president in 2008. As always, Michelle hopes to lose weight in 2009 (it's the same resolution every year).

As always we are grateful for our many, many blessings and count each of you among them. Please contact us. We'd love to hear from you!!!

Much love, The Clarks

June 2008

Happy Summer Everyone!

We hope that none of you have been caught up in the crazy weather of the spring/summer: fires, floods, tornados, etc. We got over 11 inches of rain in June and had some flooding. It was nuts! But luckily, our house didn't slide away or anything. We're just fine and hope you are too.

Here's what's going on in the Clark household:

Tom is busy renovating our basement. I hope that six months from now when we do another update for our family newsletter that I can say that it's done! I also hope that you will all be motivated to come for a visit and check it out. It's going to double the living space in our home and according to Tom's 3D designs of it on his computer, it will be AWESOME! Besides sawing, hammering, and dry-walling, Tom continues to work for the University, continues to record and gig, and continues to keep our ward's bishop (leader of our Church's congregation) organized. Most of all, Tom continues to be a fantastic husband and dad-REALLY!

I got a shock a couple of months ago when I went to our ward's bishop and told him that I didn't want to teach Seminary (early morning bible study for high schoolers) anymore. After two years, I thought someone else should have a turn. Rather than giving me a break with something less time consuming, he called me to be the ward's Relief Society President (leader of our Church's women's organization)-ugh! As usual, I had a tough beginning, but I'm slowly figuring it out. In my "free time" I do Weight Watchers, walk while listening to my new iPod , entertain the kids, and do boring stuff like clean the house and do laundry. I have dreams of singing and dancing again some day, but can't quite figure out when and how to add that to my schedule. Anyone want a singing/dancing telegram?

Nathan starts high school in the fall (gasp!) He seems ready for it as many of his friends are already high school age. But still, it seems weird to have a child enter high school. Where did the time go? Nathan auditioned and made it into the advanced jazz band. He's mostly interested in science-related classes (which is a big surprise) so that's going to be his core emphasis. He also likes cross-country running, is interested in wrestling, and hopes to be able to pass the life guarding class so he can do that as a summer job when he turns 16.

Wesley just turned 12 and was ordained to be a Deacon at church. Pretty cool! Wes continues to be his goofy self and keeps us laughing. I've discovered recently that he's really good at math. When one of his buddies, who likes to do math problems for fun, kept throwing math problems at Wesley he always got the answer right. Me, being a dork at math, was pretty impressed! Wesley actually seems to be good at so many things (voice impressions, humor, writing, memory, creativity, figuring things out, etc), it'll be interesting to see where he ends up as an adult. Wes is now a purple belt with a white stripe in Taekwondo, and just started taking electric bass lessons.

Camilla celebrated her 8th birthday on May 18 and got baptized. It was a very nice occasion. She gets more and more beautiful everyday. I'm serious! I look at her and wonder where her long, thin legs, big brown eyes, long shiny hair, and beautiful smile came from. Obviously she got all of the best qualities from both sides of the family. She also has a very sweet and happy disposition. I love how she's so bubbly and looks for and sees the good in everybody and everything around her. For example, I noticed at Camilla's birthday party that she had friends there from all over the world: Turkey, China, Vietnam, Korea, France, Africa, and even Indiana! Camilla had a "bug" theme for her birthday party and now has a pet beetle named Chocolate. I accidentally put it down the garbage disposal a week ago and thought Camilla's heart was going to break. Luckily Tom was able to save the day and got it out. Camilla will save worms and just about any squiggly thing out there that lives in dirt. I imagine her being a Parks and Recreation representative someday or perhaps a therapist. She loves Heather's therapy sessions and has learned probably 200-300 words in sign language. Camilla also continues to take Taekwondo and is a yellow belt. She also plays the piano.

Heather will turn 3 in October. She adds a sweetness to our home. Some of the kids will fight and argue with each other, but everyone loves Heather. She continues to have therapy 4 times a week, but it will all come to an end on her 3rd birthday. I have mixed feelings about that. I love her therapists and love all of the hours of one on one attention that she gets, but it will be good for her to move on to see what's next in her life's journey. We're currently looking at therapeutic preschools for her. Heather loves music time in her Nursery class at church and loves having all of her siblings home from school over the summer. We've all been spending lots of time at the pool and she seems to like that as well.

As a family we plan to make a trip to Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana this summer. (Yes, there is a Santa Claus, Indiana.) It's a HUGE water and theme park a few hours from Bloomington. Also, Tom has a few gigs with hotel stays that the family may tag along on. Besides that, we're just hanging out at home and trying to enjoy not being crazy-busy. We help Tom on occasion with the basement, but mostly he likes to do it all himself.

We hope all is well with you. Please keep in touch!

Love,

Tom, Michelle, Nathan, Wesley, Camilla, and Heather Clark

December 2007

Tom, Nathan, Wesley, Camilla, Heather and I wish all of you a very, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

We truly hope that you are enjoying this wonderful time of year in which we commemorate our Savior's birth. The lights, the music, the decorations, the Christmas programs, and the notes and cards that we receive from each of you are all so enjoyable. The Spirit we feel at this time of year makes it my favorite time of year. I wish it could last year round. I guess that in a way, it can . . .

Just to bring you up to date:

Tom remains busy with his many roles and responsibilities: daddy, husband, gigs, graphic designer, handyman, executive secretary at Church, counselor and friend, runner, etc. Most recently Tom has been asked to play congas, keyboards, tambourine, and sing in his variety bands. This winter he plans to learn how to be a plumber while remodeling our downstairs bathroom.

Nathan is in 8th grade and looks and acts more and more like his dad as he gets older, especially when Nathan plays his saxophone. It just makes me wonder if Nathan is giving me a hint as to what Tom may have been like as a teenager. Nathan is very easy-going and a joy to have around. I hear that teenagers are difficult, but so far he's been a really good kid. Nathan has many friends, mostly from Church, who choose wholesome activities to entertain themselves with. The most recent activity, however, that I'm questioning is when the boys chose to play “Capture the Flag” at midnight. Because it was dark, Nathan couldn't see where he was going and ran into a barbed wire fence. It slashed him across his face-mostly over his right eye. He has a scar now which he thinks is pretty cool.

Wesley is 11 and in the 5th grade. Wes still enjoys Taekwondo and has earned his purple belt so far. I think he would like to stick with it until he earns his black belt. Wesley's greatest gift is his sense of humor. He keeps us laughing daily. He also has a unique way of looking at the world and combines that with his humor and incredible creativity and memory. Wesley does very well in school with very little effort. He's managed to find some friends who share his enthusiasm for Star Wars and video games.

Camilla, 7, has joined Wesley in the Taekwondo studio. She should be testing for her yellow belt very soon. Although Camilla has beautiful long dancer legs, she'd rather put on a martial arts uniform and kick, yell, and punch than put on a tutu and twirl. This must have something to do with having two older brothers to defend herself from. Camilla looks like a very beautiful and feminine little girl, but inside she's all tomboy.

Heather turned 2 in October. Her progress is slow, but steady. She has four FABULOUS therapists who work with her during the week and they make a huge difference. I consider these women angels, because of their desire to do much good and bring hope to children and their families. Heather's hair is getting long enough to put in pigtails and other hairstyles. She and Camilla often have matching dresses and hair bows for Church (pretty darn cute!) Heather's personality is like Nathan's because she's pretty easy-going yet determined, but she's funny like Wes. A good combination with what she has to face in life.

Michelle: Well, I continue to teach early morning Seminary. I have 9 Freshmen/Sophomore age kids in my class. They're awesome! Besides Seminary and taking care of my four kids, I still work a few hours a week at the YMCA, and do Weight Watchers. I'm desperately trying to reach my weight goal (which somehow always seems unattainable-along with my goal to someday run a marathon.) I firmly believe, however, that with the start of a new year and with renewed faith in the Lord, perhaps I can achieve what may seem impossible . . .

I wish the same for all of you in the coming year (reaching your goals).

We love you all and wish you the very best,

-The Clarks

June 2007

Happy Summer Everyone!!!

I hope you ’re all enjoying your summer break as much as I am. As a family, we just returned from The Twin Cities in Minnesota. Tom had a resort gig there. Housing was paid for, along with some money for food. (Plus Tom got paid for the gig.) Tom likes to travel this way . . . Cheap! Anyway, the kids got a kick out of Mall of America and enjoyed swimming and generally hanging out. It was a fun trip.

To bring you up to date, this is what we were doing before the summer break and what we plan to do the rest of the summer:

I was getting up every weekday at 5:00 am to teach Seminary. If you’re not familiar with Seminary, it’s like a Bible study class for High School aged kids taught in the early morning before school. I had twelve WONDERFUL Freshmen and sophomores in my class. I plan to teach again next fall. Besides Seminary, I started a weight loss support group called “Lean on Me.” Tom built me an AMAZING website for it: http://mypage.iu.edu/~thrclark/lean/index.html. This group meets until July 6, and then we’ll take a break until fall. Beyond these two “activities,” I’ve been busy with Heather’s therapy and playing chauffer to the other kids. The summer changes are: working part-time at the YMCA, exercising, vacations, playing with kids, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning!

Nathan just finished the 7th grade at Jackson Creek Middle School. He ran track/cross-country and played the saxophone in both the school band and jazz band. Nathan NEVER has nothing to do. I think his social calendar is busier than Tom’s or mine. Over the summer: he’s thrilled to have his best friend visiting from Pennsylvania They’ve got the whole summer planned out with group get-togethers with other kids going boating, seeing movies, camp-outs, barbecues, etc. Tom also plans to give Nathan saxophone lessons over the summer, if they can find the time to coordinate.

Right at the end of the school year, Wesley earned his purple-belt in Tae Kwon Do. It took him about six months to earn. Wesley also just completed the 4th grade at Child’s Elementary School with flying colors, and he just completed the 4th Harry Potter book (734 pages). Summer plans for Wes include: Tae Kwon Do! Tae Kwon Do! Tae Kwon Do! I paid for an entire summer’s worth. He can go as many times as he wants until August 18. Besides kicking and punching this summer, Wesley would really like to make another movie. (We’ll have to find a way to post his other two movies on the Internet so you can watch them---maybe on Youtube or something). Wes also just celebrated his11th birthday.

Before the summer came, Camilla worked diligently at reading. At the beginning of the school year (1st grade), Camilla was just learning to read; now she reads like a pro. Camilla also became a “tree hugger” this year at school, and a “health nut.” I think some of you know that she chose, as her birthday party theme this year, Earth Day. Summer changes for Camilla are: learning to play well with siblings (Camilla and Wes can sometimes really go at it), quitting dance for Tae Kwon Do lessons (Camilla has a dance recital next week. After that she wants to learn how to kick and punch like her brother), and swimming lessons.

Before summer, Heather only had therapy twice a week. Now we’re going to try therapy three times a week. Heather’s getting close to walking . . . Heather also began attending the nursery at Church (big milestone for all of us), and she just recently began attending Child Care with me at the YMCA. (Yes, I gave up working at the front desk at the Y to work in Child Care again-ugh! Hopefully after a year, Heather will feel comfortable enough in there to let me move back to the desk). We’ll keep you posted on all of Heather’s development. It’s slow . . . but she’s definitely making progress.

Tom’s routine doesn’t change a whole lot. Whether it’s summer or fall, he’s my “working man!” Seriously, he’s ridiculously busy with all of his work projects. Between his day job and his gigs, he’s practically a round the clock-er. But he’s added a new “summer project” to his schedule: remodeling his office. We’re not talking changing furniture around or anything. With the help of his dad, who was visiting, Tom has knocked down walls, reframed, wired, insulated, and dry walled his office. Of course, like everything else Tom does, it will be fantastic when he’s done!

I wish you all a happy summer! Please keep in touch.

Much love,

Tom, Michelle, Nathan, Wesley, Camilla, and Heather Clark

December 2006

Merry Christmas!

Can you believe it??? Another year is coming to an end. And what a year it has been for us. We’ve had our share of challenges and blessings, but I think more blessings than challenges. At this time of year when we ponder upon the great gift of hope in eternal life that comes through our Savior Jesus Christ, how can I not feel overwhelmed with joy over the blessings that are mine? And what blessings still can be mine? I think a feeling of gratitude best summarizes how I feel at the close of this year.

I think I’m most grateful for my family, in particular my fabulous husband. I think all who know Tom know how patient and tolerant he is. He would have to be to put up with me for 14 (almost 15) years. Tom works very hard to provide for the family, even working, what seems like, around the clock. If you consider his day job + gigs + freelance work, I think it all adds up to ‘round the clock work. Tom is not only dedicated to providing for his family, but he is dedicated to being a good husband and father. He makes an effort to help around the house when he’s home, just to make my job easier. Tom’s been known to bake several loaves of homemade bread, make the kids lunches, do laundry, clean the kitchen, make breakfast, dinner, etc. The kids love their dad because of the time, love and support he gives to each of them. We will sorely miss him over Christmas while he travels through South Korea entertaining the U.S. Troops, but will look forward to spending part of the holiday season with him when he returns Jan. 2.

Heather, age 1, is progressing slowly. She has therapy twice a week and is now able to sit up well, turn around in a sitting position, clap her right hand with her left, and can occasionally hold something in her right hand. We’re grateful for any progress that she makes. We’re also grateful for the “First Steps” program that offers free therapy to children under the age of three, and they’re fabulous therapists. As you can imagine, therapy twice a week could normally cost a fortune. Heather has obviously inherited her father’s good nature, as she is very patient, tolerant, calm, and is a VERY good sleeper!

Camilla (6) is beginning to thrive in her 1st grade class at school. She had a rough beginning, but has since settled in. It seems that all of our kids struggle with some shyness in social situations. This is sort of a surprise to me as our kids aren’t shy at home, especially Camilla who never stops talking. I’ve enrolled Camilla in a dance class again and recently took her to see the Nutcracker. I hope that she develops a love for dancing because although she doesn’t realize it yet, she is a beautiful dancer.

Nathan is 13 and overnight has turned into a typical teenager. I guess what I mean by that is he’s never home. He’s always at a church youth activity, at a school football game, at a band practice, at a friend’s house, etc. When he is home, he’s either eating, playing on the Play Station, doing homework or sleeping. Sound familiar to anyone? If I were to choose to raise any teenager, however, I’d pick Nathan. He, like Heather, has inherited Tom’s good nature. Nathan is kind of quiet, but nice to everyone, easy to get along with, and confident. He’s following in his father’s footsteps and is becoming a decent saxophone player and a wiz at the computer.

Wes (10) is our Taekwondo-Man! He’s also our Drama-man! Since as long as Wesley could dress himself (age 2?), he’s enjoyed dressing up as some character from a book, movie, or his imagination and acting out a scene from the story. I finally wizened up one day and enrolled him in a drama class. I think both his drama class and his Taekwondo classes allow him the creative outlets that he needs. Besides Wesley’s creative mind, he has a very keen mind. Wes continues to surprise us with his academic test scores at school. He regularly scores in the top 99% for math and reading. Unfortunately he dislikes school and would rather spend time acting, karate chopping, or playing on the Playstation.

As mentioned before, I have a wonderful family to be grateful for. I’m also grateful for the educational opportunities that the Lord blesses me with. I’ve been asked to teach High School Seminary. I teach 12 fabulous freshmen and sophomore students every morning (Monday-Friday) at 6:30. I’m learning a lot about the Gospel through this opportunity and am hopefully learning how to be an effective teacher-especially with this age group. Thirdly, I’m grateful for the patience that everyone around me has as I continue to struggle with getting myself back in shape after Heather’s birth. I always feel so horrible about myself when I’m not as fit as I like to be. To some this may sound silly, but to me it’s probably one of my biggest daily challenges. Again, I’m grateful for the patience and support that everyone, especially my husband, gives me in trying to conquer this “monster.” I have great faith that with the Lord’s help, I’ll get it under control. “In the strength in the Lord, I can accomplish all things.”

Lastly, I’m grateful for all of you!!! Friends and family have enriched our lives in so many ways. Thank you for everything!

Love,

Tom, Michelle, Nathan, Wesley, Camilla, and Heather