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

June 2006

Well HELLO to Everyone from The Hoosier State,

Summer is upon us which means long hot days, evening walks with fireflies, A/C, swimsuits (ugh!), entertaining the kids, birthday parties, staying up late and sleeping-in, camping, BUGS, friends moving away, and traveling to see family.

It’s also a reminder that my kids are growing up as three of them have completed another school year.

Nathan just graduated from elementary school and will be starting Jackson Creek Jr. High School in the fall. I remember my jr. high years almost as if they were yesterday. I can’t believe my son is already at that stage in his life. He’s turning 13 in September and has all new interests. I find it fun to try and guess what talents and interests that a toddler will still have when he grows up. Nathan’s interests used to include science, science fiction, and more science. But now he’s all sports and music. Much to his dad and I’s dismay, he wants to play 7th grade football. We’re afraid he’s going to get pounded out on the field because he’s of small stature. (Science was safer.) However, because he’s such a great runner, he’s beginning to show some interest in track. He plans to play saxophone in the school jazz band, take accelerated math and learn Spanish. I do believe he’s a “chip off the old block” wouldn’t you say?

Wesley gets taller and older, but he hasn’t changed much. He just completed 3rd grade and had his 10th birthday on June 4. It was another Harry Potter party. (I think this was the 4th Harry Potter party I’ve done.) Wes is still a “goof ball” and keeps me laughing regularly. If I were to pick a career for him, it would have something to do with film, acting, or producing. He spends a huge amount of time daily studying movies, acting out favorite scenes (including every detail), dressing up in costumes, doing character voices, role playing with action figures and puppets, and making movies with his dad. He’s been doing this since he was age two and hasn’t “grown out of it” yet. Wes was invited to participate in a special school for “gifted and talented” children next year. But he said ABSOLUTELY NO WAY! Wes is generally a good kid who enjoys his baby sister, hanging out with Nathan, and tormenting Camilla.

Camilla, now six, equally enjoys tormenting Wes. I spend a significant amount of my days playing referee for them. Other than that activity, Camilla enjoys playing with friends, doing artwork, swimming, playing games on the computer, and LOVES school! Although I’m pretty sure she likes school, I think it was her kindergarten teacher that she really loved. Camilla saw her kindergarten teacher (who was with her husband and new baby) recently at the public pool. Camilla raced off to say hello to her, but never came back. I basically had to PRY her away from them. I hope her 1st grade teacher is loved as much by her. Camilla seems to get along better with her boy schoolmates rather than the girls. I noticed at her recent birthday party that she hung out with the boys (who often hugged her and wrote “I love you” on their birthday cards to her) more than the girls. When I asked her who her good friends were, she named: Tommy, Chandler, and Andrew as her favorites. Am I ready for her to grow up??? NO WAY!

Speaking of friends, three of my kids are all having really good friends move away this summer. It’s very difficult for them.

Heather, as most of you know, suffered a stroke on the left hemisphere of her brain. The neurologist who she sees has done numerous tests to try and discover the cause of the stroke. So far, the answer seems to be that Heather has a mutation that basically doesn’t break down an enzyme. This causes clots in her blood and one went to her brain. It’s possible that she could suffer another stroke as well as experience seizures, but so far no seizures (which is a very good sign), and she’s on a folic acid and multi-vitamin supplement to help with the enzyme problem. Heather really struggles to use the right side of her body (the left side of the brain controls the right side). She has therapy twice a week to help with her posture, to learn to use her right side, and to develop more sensation in her right hand. She hates the therapy. Regardless of all of this, we have great faith and hope that she’ll be able to overcome these challenges that she faces and will continue to face. I believe that we can all develop good character traits through the challenges that we face in life. Heather has a very cheery disposition and good sense of humor. (And cute as a button!)

Tom is still the busiest and most talented (and most handsome) man I know. His “to do” list doesn’t have an end. Tom is still in the Bishopric at church, works a full-time job at Indiana University, gigs, records, does freelance web work, and is trying to do a complete overhaul of our home. Whenever I ask him what he wants for his birthday, Father’s Day, or Christmas, he usually responds with “A day off!” But his “days off” are usually consumed with trying to make progress on his “to do” list. We are planning on making another trip out West this summer. It just might be the weirdest thing for me to see Tom relax and perhaps get some sleep. Regardless of how busy Tom has been lately, he is always good-natured and always makes himself available to the family. I couldn’t have searched the world over and found a better husband and father.

My goal, as always, is to lose weight. It seems that whenever I get myself “in shape”; I get pregnant again and get “out of shape”. So here goes weight loss attempt number four! I’m happy to say that I’ve started running again and am 1/3 of the way to my weight goal. I’ve discovered that I take an awful lot of my stress out on eating. As my family has gotten bigger and I’ve had more and more responsibility and less and less time for myself, I’ve sort of just put myself on the back burner and let my health go on the back burner as well. But this has changed. I’m putting my running, healthy eating, scripture reading back on the front burner for not only my sake, but for the sake of the whole family. Life is SOOOOO much better!!! I’m happier and so is the family. Funny how that is! I’ve also quit my job at the YMCA (although I really loved it), and have quit cutting hair outside the family. I’m doing much better at saying no to things that are not a priority and yes to things that are essential. My relationship with God, my health, and my family come before anything else. Then my church responsibilities (I’m teaching Seminary this Fall), then whatever else I have time for after that. I think it’s a plan that works for me.

Well, I think there has definitely been some growth among all of us over that past few months whether it be in height, age, or wisdom and experience.

I’m so happy for the friendship, support, and words of wisdom that you offer to all of us to help us grow. I’m looking forward to seeing or hearing from you soon. Thanks for keeping in touch.

Much love to all,

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

December 2005

Dear family members and friends,

Happy Holidays Everyone! This is one of my favorite times of the year. I love everything about Christmas! I bet I'm not the only one feels that way.

Well as this year draws to a close, I'm beginning to refl

ect on the years' highlights. I guess our biggest highlight was the

birth of our 4th child, Heather Sonya Clark. She surprised us not once, but twice, by first deciding to enter our family without us planning on it, then coming a month early. She joined our family on October 10, weighing in at 5 lbs. 5 oz., 17.5” long. She's beautiful, healthy, and a good baby (as if babies could be bad.)

Another highlight was having visitors come to Indiana to see the new baby. My sister, Cherie, came in November and Tom's parents came at the beginning of December for Heather's blessing. We even got our first snowfall of the season-about 8 inches-while Tom's parents were here. The kids' school closed and we all went sledding! Well, not all of us went sledding. Some of us just watched . . .

Nathan's 12th birthday was a real highlight. He had a Napoleon Dynamite themed party. It was really fun. He was later ordained a deacon at church and has graduated to the Young Men's program. He loves hanging out with the teenage boys and participating in all of their sports programs and wild and crazy youth activities. Nathan started playing the alto saxophone in the community Star of Indiana Band. He has a Christmas concert with them on December 21. We're all looking forward to attending that. Nathan's a great kid, a great soccer player, and a wonderful big brother to Heather.

Halloween was probably one of Wesley's highlights of the year. Wesley LOVES to dress up and act out characters. Halloween is, of course, the official day to do that. He was Darth Vader this year. He practiced getting the breathing just right several weeks in advance. By the time Halloween came, I think he thought he WAS Darth Vader! Wes continues to take Taekwondo, make us laugh, and quote from Monty Python and The Holy Grail.

A real highlight this year was redecorating Camilla's room-and completing it! Tom tried very hard to redo it according to Camilla's specifications. She wanted a “garden room” with flowers, clouds, picket fences, bunnies, etc. and to make sure there was room for Heather, too. Tom was successfully able to pull it off. It looks beautiful! Camilla has a definite mind of her own with a whole lot of “girly-girl” mixed with “tomboy” and a hint of spunk! She even got in trouble at school for spitting on a boy who kept teasing her. I had to tell her that was naughty, but inside I was really applauding her for fighting back! That's my girl! Camilla loves to draw, dance, and to jump!

I'm not sure if Tom would consider turning 40 a highlight or not, but it's definitely worth noting. We weren't able to make a big “to-do” over it, though. Because Heather was born by C-section 12 days before Tom's birthday, I wasn't up for a huge party. We made a cake and played games as a family. I would certainly like to surprise him someday with a big celebration just to celebrate his life and the wonderful person he is! Tom continues to gig, design, travel, play daddy, cook delicious pizza, remodel the home, edit movies, and sometimes he sleeps.

Well, my personal highlights are watching my family interact each day. I guess I've been richly blessed because I've had many highlights this year. I hope I've adequately been able to share a few with you through photos and letters. It's been a good year.

I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable Holiday and that the Lord's choicest blessings shower you in the New Year.

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

Summer 2005

Summers in Bloomington, Indiana can be summarized in one word- HOT! They are especially so to someone who is six months pregnant. Each day I grow more and more pregnant and grow more and more grateful for air conditioning. I am also most grateful for swimming pools. I often feel like an oversized beach ball bobbing around in the cool water, but oh, the relief! Swimming pools are the only place where I can feel both weightless and cool at the same time-that’s what I call heaven.

Besides airconditioning and swimming pools, I have thoroughly enjoyed traveling this summer. We have had the unique opportunity to spend time on the west coast with our extended family members and friends. I say this is unique because flying with the family is outrageously expensive and driving is both time consuming and unbearable. But we bit the bullet and drove to Cannon Beach, Oregon for a Croft family reunion. We drove nearly two days straight-a record for us-and the kids did remarkably well in the car (thanks to the DVD player.) While in Cannon Beach, the kids enjoyed boogie boarding with their cousins at the beach, visiting with grandparents, spending time with aunts and uncles whom they barely know, and best of all trying to compete with their cousin Steven in Dance Dance Revolution. (Nathan is still determined to be as good as Steven someday). Of course, I loved the swimming pool best of all.

The West Coast trip also included a trip to Seattle to visit our friend, Amy Stephens Chen that included a trip to the beach. We also got to visit Brent, Trina, and their three girls and 11 pets in beautiful Crescent City. This also included a trip to the beach. We got a chance to visit Klamath Falls where Tom has a number of relatives. (No beach in Klamath.) We eventually made it down to Hughson where there is no beach, but an absolutely refreshing swimming pool. That’s where most of our time was spent. The great thing about Hughson was that all family members wanted to spend time in the pool as well-a great way to socialize, I think! Upon leaving Hughson, California and heading back to Indiana, we decided to make an overnight stay in Utah. We took the kids to Temple Square in Salt Lake City, and then went on to visit my 98 year-old Grandma. She is an amazing lady who still manages to cook several course meals, walks to church without a cane, keeps up in her garden, knows the names of all her great-great grandchildren, and keeps her house immaculately clean. I’m sixty years younger than her and don’t have half her energy or sharpness of mind. Although there were no beaches or swimming pools, I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Utah. Overall, our trip out West was wonderful. It was so good to see everyone. We loved the hospitality, the conversation, the sightseeing, the fabulous cooking and enjoyment of the kids’ interaction. We hope to do another trip before the next decade rolls around.

Just a quick update for you on our family:

Tom still divides his time between church work, computer work, music work, and "home" work. As usual, "Mr. Perfectionist" is always in high demand. His motto has always been, "If I can’t do it right, I won’t do it at all". So of course, everyone wants him for the job because they know he’ll get it done right. As usual, I, along with

everyone else, have a waiting list of projects for Tom to complete whenever he has time . . .. Most of the projects are home remodeling projects. I wish they could be done yesterday, but I know he’ll eventually get there and it’ll be worth the wait.

Camilla is starting kindergarten this year. I remember looking forward to this day about a year ago. I thought, "Wow, all my kids will be in school this year. What does that mean for me? Should I go back to school and finish my degree, or go back to work full time . . ." But now that we’ve got baby #4 on the way, that changes everything. Even so, as the day draws closer for Camilla to join her brothers in riding the school bus to school everyday, I’m getting a little nervous for her. I already know I’ll get emotional watching the school bus drive away on the first day of school. Then I’ll wish that I could chase after the bus and be a fly on the wall in her classroom all day-such a mix of emotions. I’ve done this same kind of thing with the boys and I’m sure it will be no different with Camilla. I’m sure she’ll be just fine because she seems very ready for this new adventure in her life, even if I’m not sure I am. Besides beginning kindergarten, she’ll begin dance lessons again this Fall and is looking forward to playing with her many friends who’ve been away for the summer.

Wesley is still waiting to perform the play that he’s written called, "Hamster Adventures". It’s a spoof on Star Wars with hamsters that play all the roles. He wrote it last year with the idea that all his classmates would be the hamsters in the play and perform it at the end of the school year. Unfortunately, the teacher’s assistant who was helping Wes put the play together had to finish the school year earlier than expected. The play never happened. We’re hoping to pull it together this coming school year (3rd grade). Besides being a playwright, Wesley spends a lot of time trying to make people laugh and is enjoying cub scouts. He took a summer break from Taekwondo and is anxious to start again this Fall.

Nathan will be turning twelve in September and is entering the 6th grade. He’s looking forward to playing the saxophone in a local band. He still really enjoys sports, doing chores to earn money, and being the man of the house when Tom is away. He and I had a race recently to see who could read the 6th Harry Potter book the quickest. He won by a few days. I’m glad for his recent desire to read. He can always be found in his bed late at night with his nose in a book-I’m trying to decide if I should tell him to turn out the light, or encourage the reading.

Well, that’s about it! I think the next update that we will have will be when the baby is born. Knowing Tom, he’ll whip up an amazing website just for her. Or perhaps, he’ll just add another page to the one we already have. Regardless, we’ll let you know when the big event happens---probably around Halloween.

We love you all and are so grateful for you!

Love, The Clarks