The Clark's

2009-12-28T22:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Dave,
You were hit by a drunk driver last night. I can't believe it and don't want to. I was home making cake and putting up decorations when you, Lindsay and baby Cora were being slammed head-on by a car with a drunk man behind the wheel. I imagine you throwing yourself over Cora in her carseat as Lindsay stared into the oncoming headlights and made the best decision of her life, turning one way and not the other. Probably not even having time for her heart to start racing before being hit. I heard that you were screaming, "no" and what must've you been thinking? About Lindsay and Cora I'm sure. I heard you got out of the car and fell to the ground. I heard you were groaning in pain. I heard you were life-flighted and intubated. That you bled so much in your belly that they couldn't close you up after surgery because of the amount of swelling in your abdomen.I heard you could squeeze Lindsay's hand and that when they brought in Cora for you to see, you reached out your hand to her. I called Dad today to see if he new anymore, and I heard your voice. I forgot that you made his voicemail message for him. I had to call back one more time to hear your voice. I turned up the volume and listened hard. When Mom got the news that you were even worse off than we thought, I cried and cried and cried. I couldn't stop picturing what you must've looked like in that bed. It reminded me of the time when I was a teenager, giving a talk in church about Christ and I told the audience how when I needed to remember how important He was, I would picture one of my brothers up on the cross. I broke down when I told that part, and I broke down today when I remembered that. I cried so hard that I finally fell asleep. When I woke up, I didn't want to ever move again. I wanted to stay in that exact spot, looking out the window and remembering growing up with you. How much you used to make me laugh and how much I looked up to you. I thought of how you are a friend to everyone you meet and how much I want to be your friend. I thought of how much you've changed since you've had Cora and how in love you and Lindsay are. I pictured you in Great Falls, you were my big brother but you were skinny with knobby knees. You had freckles across your nose and weird hair that I thought was so cool. The other day I was making Christmas cookies and I remembered the time when you tried making ginger cookies and you got the sugar messed up with the salt and covered the tops with it. You were so mad about it that you tried to make me eat them anyway. I thought that I should send you the same cookies this year and not say anything until you called me because you had taken a bite. I wish I had made you those cookies. I thought about how as I went through this year, one of the hardest of my life, you didn't make me explain things. I pretendeded it was because you were one of the few people who knew my character and knew you didn't have to ask even though I knew you were just trying to respect me and let me talk about it when I was ready. And I never was. Because you are you and I couldn't bring myself to stop pretending and hear disappointment in your voice. Even though I sit here now and realize that I probably wouldn't have anyway. I want the man that hit you guys to be dead. I know it's wrong but I feel that way. I hate him. And I can't stop crying. I feel like you must know that I love you but that you couldn't know how deep my love for you is. The day that Bennett was blessed I sat in the audience and cried so hard. I was crying because I finally had a son, a beautiful perfect child to bless. But I was also crying because you were up there with him. I wanted that so bad and I was so happy that it didn't make you uncomfortable and that you did it happily and willingly. It broke my heart in such a good way. I was so happy that you came to see me in the hospital when I had Ben. I was so proud of you for graduating college and so sad that I couldn't be there. You are so wonderful and I always feel like I don't measure up and I never will. I always want you to be proud of me but I feel like I always fall short. I never knew who to measure myself against or how to love myself because Dad wasn't there and Matt was gone, but I always secretly watched you. The day that you stuck up for me on the bus to Josh Grant made my life. I would think about it all the time. And what it meant to me. I also think often of the day that Don confirmed to me that he did like you more than me and you said "Geeze Don, you didn't have to say that" while I sat there crying. And then you followed me out the door and took me to Kim's where I lived for the next few weeks. It was simple to you but made me feel loved at least a little by one person. I was so young and it was so important to hear you say that. I remember the first time you hugged me. I was sixteen and it was my birthday and you didn't know but it made me cry. Our relationship was tense growing up because of what we had to go through but it wasn't either of our faults. I only knew that, that hug felt so good. I remember one time in 7th grade I raised my hand and told a joke that you told on the school bus. Everyone was silent. It didn't land. Because it wasn't you saying it. Because you were so cool and funny. I was always so proud to be your sister. Even when we fought. The day that you rode your ten-speed into the school gymnasium dressed as Jack Tripper was so fun for me. I didn't think I had ever smiled that big. And when you were the quarterback in highschool, that was the only reason I liked to go to games. I know I should've told you but I was prideful. I hated football but loved to watch you play. You've always been my big brother in every sense of the term. Even when you were rubbing my face in your hairy armpit, or gleaking on me or making me gag by spitting into the air and catching it in your mouth. Five minutes later you could redeem yourself because I loved you so much. Sometimes I didn't want to love you but couldn't help it. And as I grow older, I love you even more. With far away admiration. I am so scared. I hate this moment. That you are lying in a hospital bed alone, only seeing your little family in moments at a time. And I can't do anything. I can't help you, I can't stop the pain or fix you. And I hate it. It leaves me with only one thing to do. To cry. And picture you and think of you and be scared. I love you so much Bavid. Be so strong. Be healthy. Heal. Feel the Savior in the room with you. And Grandpa and Grandma. Amaze the doctors and nurses. Feel the warmth of the prayers being said for you by family and complete strangers. The people who are not eating their food to show the Lord they love you and need you. Look at Linds and feel the power of being her rock and true love. Look at Cora and feel the power of being her one and only Daddy ever. Rest. Sleep. Heal. Be my brother that is stopped by nothing and never ceases to make me proud and in awe. I love you. So much that it hurts this much. Sleep tonight and I will see you tomorrow and you can tell me what you were going to during our phonecall that I was waiting for on Sunday. I can't wait to see your eyes and that scar in your eyebrow and your hairy arms. I love you Bavey Bavid. -Ashley

2009-03-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

"The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook." - William James

2008-12-30T00:28:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin. My baby is 2 years old! He is the most wonderful, funny , breathtaking, and life-affirming thing to ever happen to us. After four years waiting for him,(and the extra 10 months he was growing inside of me) I can't believe he's 2! As I made this blog post, I stumbled upon a few of the songs I used to sing to him when he was in my tummy and I of course cried. They were so special and meaningful to be able to sing them to him when he was in my stomach but the most amazing part was when he came out, he still remembered those songs and they were an instant comfort to him. I knew he didn't understand the gravity and depth of the words I was singing but they were only for him and he knew it. That maybe only lasted a year or more but for the time that it did last, he was still my little baby, remembering that time that was just for the two of us. I love him so much and thank Heavenly Father for him everyday. But it feels like so much more than that. Bennett will always give me a reason to live as happy as I can without even knowing it. He literally makes me happy. So Bennett, never, ever forget how much Mommy and Daddy love you with all their hearts, minds and open arms. You will always be our baby.

2008-12-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

2008-12-29T22:41:00.000-08:00

2008-12-29T22:34:00.000-08:00

2008-12-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to everyone from the Clarks! It's been super crazy with the snow here and so that's kept Ben and I from going anywhere...but outside! We go out and play in the snow for at least an hour everyday. Richard and Mom are still working hard and Richard has to take Mom into work everyday because her car refuses when the snow is this bad. And with a hundred other worries in our lives these days, somehow we seem to keep moving ahead and have as many fun times as we can while doing it. We had a humble little Christmas but are so thankful for our friends, family and the gospel that always keeps our lives enriched. So again, happy holidays and we love you all!

2008-12-22T15:37:00.000-08:00

So this was our "Girls Night Out"! I'm in a girls group where we get together and spaz out and eat together, well maybe that's just me doing that with some wonderful sophisticated women, but none the less...it's fun! This week Sharee was sweet enough to teach us an amazing pilates class that she teaches at the gym, just for us and it was so fun that I requested it as my Christmas present! P.S. by fun, I mean hard as "all get out". I felt so bad for Sharee. She kept saying,"no you guys are doing so great!" And I thought, "is that translation for, you look like a bunch of drunk, stumbling idiots and you make me puke in my mouth a little." But it was great. Rachel and Coco and I got there early to rehearse our 80's dance moves, just in case they would be incorporated into the routine, but sadly...they weren't. So after much wobbling and pretzling, I knew it was the class for me when 2 days later I could barely move. I love strength training with a twist. Next up-Coco's yoga classes! YAY! P.S. the pics of me on the floor were genuine. I almost needed a stretcher to get me out of there. Rachel even had to check on me for a second because I had the classic dead person's, "eyes squeezed shut with head turned to the side and tongue hanging out", just like our many death scenes through childhood.

2008-12-22T15:31:00.000-08:00

2008-12-22T15:27:00.000-08:00

2008-12-22T15:24:00.001-08:00

So this was Thanksgiving and as you can see, it would be really easy to add sweet captions to each of these pics but I'm going to let YOU do that. It was so fun and probably won't happen for quite some time. And the "noise" or "joy" level as I like to call it, caused partial deafness in my ears for about a week after:) Happy Holidays!

2008-12-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

2008-12-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

2008-12-21T19:10:00.000-08:00

K, so I lost my camera and all of my pictures that WERE actually uploaded to the computer are now on their own hard drive upstairs in another room. So all I have is some old pics I got off of Rachel's computer. I'll get some off of my phone soon and update somehow that way.These are just a couple of pics from last year at Green Bluff. First I want to say good job to the kids for a pic without any freakouts and Kenzie for holding up Ben's ample fluffy babyness. Then, there's Kylie trying to drown herself in peas in the background of Ben's pic. Kylie, hang on. things will get better. You have your whole life ahead of you! Put the bucket down! Now, let's all clasp hands in a circle and pray for my camera to grow tiny legs and suddenly walk into the room. Actually , let's pray that it grows fat, hairy, full-grown man legs-only scale to it's size...that would be even sweeter. And then I'll take pictures with it's gnarly legs just hanging there or kicking around and totally trip out the people I'm photographing. Whoa-what just happened? Did I just black out again? Please excuse anything I said that was weird or offensive. Phew...anyyyywayyyyy...

2008-11-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

So here are a few priceless ones of our little man. We were trying to catch some of the few last nice days to take a walk on his worm car and while he enjoyed it, he did a somersault at one point right over the face of the worm and landed safely, but was a little miffed about it. He loves wearing Daddy's shoes and hats around the house and hopefully he is going to start teaching me a jazzercise routine to really stay in shape for winter. Cross your fingers!

2008-11-16T18:24:00.000-08:00

So this was Halloween. I wish I had gotten more pictures, but this is it. Bennett was a handy man but ended up looking more like Magnum P.I. so I wish I had dressed him in tiny shorts and a hawaiian shirt to complete the look but whatev. And by the end of the night, he just looked like he had poo on his face anyway! Richard was of course a mechanic for the millioneth year in a row and to my delight, Rachel suggested I be gothic. It was so fun. I wish I had been one in high school because I got to have a horrible attitude all night (while trying not to laugh. A few goth kids came to the door and I was just like, "what's up" in a really monotone voice. I was like, "Ugh, anarchy, and down with parents and such...Rachel was an 80's hottie and Coco was her beautiful self. It really was all such a fun blur.

2008-11-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

These are some old ones that I couldn't upload. Summertime strolling down Sherman ave. The two men looking like studs, especially the cool dude with the sunglasses in the stroller. People kept stopping and looking at him and laughing and it kept taking me a secomd to remember that he had mommy's sunglasses on and was keeping it that way. Then there was one of our trips to Costco and the cute pic we got of the cousins and of course his, "I see weird people..." moment with the shades. He also let me know how he prefers to eat my homemade wheat bread, and that's about the last 6 inches all for himself...silly boy.

2008-11-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

Hi all. These updates are going to come in short, weird spurts now until we get our new computer that should be done shortly. So "hang on to ya butts"! Richard and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary in September and went to the Oval Office to eat. (My fave.) Bennett enjoyed the delicious strawberries the only way he'll eat them, which is kind of how Cookie Monster eats his cookies. And "Nano" and "Senna" helped around the house. I swear when the other computer is up and running, these won't seem so random. And I can also update you on the many goings on and Ben's new vocabulary which is huge! I hope everyone is doing well. Love ya!

2008-09-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

"The face of a child can say it all. Especially the mouth part of the face."
Jack Handey

2008-09-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a little of our trip to Manito park. It was so beautiful and the kids had a lot of fun. The season's winding down and while I love fall, I'll miss the flowers. But then again...it just means we're closer to apple picking, pumpkin doughnuts and Green bluff!!! Yay!

2008-09-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

2008-09-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

2008-09-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

K, so here is a quick update of our happenings. Richard's lil sis Rachel a.k.a. Raquello, has moved in with us, which has been awesome! I think especially for Richard though because he's been getting to use his pro wrestling moves and play video games more often. We all went camping over the labor day weekend with the McReynold's clan and had a blast. "Spuh-duh-min" was also there to watch over us and Rachel actually caught a fish with some crap she found and threw together at the bank of hayden lake! She and I DID have to kill a butterfly to use for bait though and once the fish was caught, she screamed,"ASHLEY!!"and then I screamed and she screamed and WE screamed. It was sweet and the fish lived to see another day, gently floating atop the waters of the lake. Just kidding, it actually did swim away. Oh, also, my kid eats dirt. PEACE!!!

2008-09-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

2008-08-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

Rules:
Each player answers the question themselves.At the end of the post the player then tages 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

THE FIVE

10 years ago I:
1. was 18
2. Had moved from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to St. George, UT
3. Going through total shock at being broke and away from everything I knew
4. Working at Down East Outfitters
5. Gaining a richer testimony while living with my awesome cousins

5 things on today's "to do" list:
1.Dr.s appt.,
2.call Angela Back,
3.Call Courtney Kimbal back,
4.make lunch & take care of Ben,
clean house,& call Rachel and see if she needs help

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Almost anyting mediterranian
2. Maui onion and garlic roasted almonds
3. HOT Krispie Kreme Donuts
4. Bell Peppers
5. a HUGE glass of ice water

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Buy a home and start an awesome garden
2. Buy a sweet car
3. Invest in either something smart or something crazy like my MANY inventions
4. Get guitar lessons, piano lessons and make an album
5. Obviously I'd pay tithing but I would also buy a part timeshare in some horses (does that even exist?)

5 places I have lived:
1. Great Falls,MT
2. Coeur d'Alene, ID
3. St. George, UT
4. Phoenix, AZ
5. Post Falls, ID

I tag... Rachel, Natalie, Megan, Christina, Matt&Heather, Dave&Lindsay

2008-08-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

Can you tell how much baby Ben enjoyed his first haircut? We took him to this place for kids because with this mound of thick hair, even the best at home haircut looks pretty bad. So Grammy treated him to a cut that we thought he might enjoy. There were a ton of toys, we got to pick out his favorite movie and he was riding a zebra! But in the end, he was put in a gentle headlock by the stylist and he went ape the rest of the time...seriously, these pictures aren't even the worst! Those pics are just blurrs of tiny fists and frowns. So I think we'll be going back to the Flo-Bee.

2008-07-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

If anyone can tell me how to post a video from my camcorder-I need. I have a video of Jonny stealing the little neighbor's kids bike at Christmas and riding it down the street as the kid screamed behind him. It's truly precious!

2008-07-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

In my defense...she WAS younger than me!

2008-07-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

Courtney looks innocent enough but there's no way I was responsible for that...gut.

2008-07-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

Now and then, then and now. From "ladies who lunch" to...well...this. From ages 1, 5 and 9 to now at 20, 20, and 20.

2008-07-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

So I went to my 10th reunion the other night and I actually had an awesome time! It was great catching up with old friends and shakin' it to the horrible tunes of "DJ Juicy", I assume that's his name because his belt flashed it across a digital screen. I wanted to push him off the stage and take over. It was so funny reminiscing about stupid stuff we did in high school including the science baby Miles and I created that had every disease possible, a silky uni-brow, acne, bad teeth, and sweet crew cut. His name was Falcon Talon something and he was ours, made out of love...I don't remember what grade we got but Mrs. Gomes hung his pic on the wall above the white board for all to enjoy so that says something. We were there until almost 2 a.m. which suprised me because on the way there, Richard and I were trying to come up with a code word to escape the party in case we needed it. I was sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to everyone there but DJ Juicey was blaring "Cotton-eyed Joe" too loud. (Ya that's right, freakin' COTTON-EYED JOE...I was so close to asking someone to put me in a choke hold until I passed out just so I could miss the song! But I danced to it anyway.) Long story short, it was great and I'm glad I went.

2008-07-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

I wasn't even done loading pictures but this laptop is so problematic that I put in what I could, which takes many attempts because the computer kicks me off every time, and decided to write another day. So here goes...In June we went to Car d'lane and gawked at the many amazing cars like the original woody wagon, which has always been my dream car, and the "band wagon" car. I have no idea if that's the name but that's what I called it. And I thought, "It's a band wagon...should I get on it?" I think all it took was something like a dog wearing a scarf to distract me again, but we saw it and kept moving, which was hard being that the immature dweeb in me wanted to violently jump on and start banging and smashing around in all the instruments like a trunk monkey. You know, like those Jack Russells you see that are always shaking because they just want to run wild but they've been trained not to? Ya, we're like kindred spirits. I also tried wearing Bennett on my back until I humbly had to admit that in the first five steps I had taken, I almost fell over three times. Richard laughed at me and gave me this,"oh you sweet, naive little weakling", and threw him on his own back. We also have been enjoying playtime in the back yard and our trip to Manito park in Spokane. I swore to Bennett that we'd go when it wasn't just the two of us with him on a leash but that's the only way I could keep up with him. It's really beautiful, these pics don't do it justice. Then for the 4th of July we headed to Bigfork and enjoyed some time with Grandpa, Mimi and the family. My friend Megan and her two kids, Joel and Ella also joined us so it was really fun. Richard had the flu more than half of the time so he missed out on a lot. It was so sad. We've been doing well and Bennett is talking more and more everyday and flirting with all the ladies he can. He can count to ten and hasn't been charged with grand theft auto yet which is both suprising and great because he manages to steal one or two cars from EVERY house we visit. I seriously should start documenting it and taking pictures! We hope you all are well and are enjoying your summer! PEACE!!!

2008-07-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

2008-07-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

2008-07-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

2008-06-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

So, as some of you may know, Richard has recently become OBSESSED with "Hannah Montana". And just after he turned 30, he began talking about a "new hairstyle", to which I responded,"go for it babe, whatever will make you happy" and I then buried my face back in the sports section of the newspaper. Well there we were a few months later and as he watched his new DVR'd episode of "Hannah", he began talking about,"how cool that Billy Ray Cyrus is". So I put down my issue of "The Smithsonian" and said,"are you kidding me?" Once I realized I had hurt his feelings, I rephrased my comment and agreed that Billy Ray was pretty spectacular...I didn't realize I was getting on board with Richard's new and "jiggy" hairstyle. But here we are, Richard in all his glory rising every morning to wash, condition, flat-iron and set his new tresses before putting on his mechanics uniform to head off to work. Hair extensions=$300.00, salon grade styling products=$112.36, your husband's happiness=priceless.

2008-06-03T17:36:00.001-07:00

2008-05-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all you pervs out in blogger land. So I did it. I went blond. I decided to find out if blonds really do have more fun, and you know what? They don't. I didn't find anything more exciting than usual. Reading-same, doing dishes-same, cleaning the brown film out of the toilet-SAME!!! I was so looking forward to having a little extra oomph added to all of my daily goings on but honestly, it just left me with a dry scalp and the urge to put on a red "Baywatch" swim suit. "Myth...busted." Good thing I'm kidding since Grandpa would strike me with lightning if I actually changed my hair. Lesson learned "in the year two thousaaaannnnnd!" at the family reunion. But really, you can go to Instyle.com and change your hair for fun. I have pics of me with every hair color possible. Just a heads up if you have desire for change minus the huevos.

2008-05-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

You know you want it. Here it is ladies, girl porn. Dirty guys like to look at smut, but for us...oh no...it's allllll about the manual labor. The vacuuming, the dishes, the yard work and can I say this?...Cleaning up after THEMSELVES!!!...Ohhhhhh yaaaaaaa...

2008-05-12T21:48:00.000-07:00

2008-04-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

Is it bad that this picture makes me smile? Okay it's a little beyond smiling. It makes me feel ALIVE! I almost break out in nose flaring, eyes watering, stomach aching laughter every time I see it. Maybe it's because Cinnamon actually half chewed out my eye with the kind of rage you see there on her face. I saw all like, 5 years flash before my eyes when she came at me that day. Was she justified? Sure. Did she smell? Absolutely! But no, that's not the reason it makes me so happy. It just is what it is. Matt gettin' all up in a rabid dog's face as she finally, FINALLY loses it after probably only about 2 seconds of adorable kid play time. Matt, the squirrely kid who by the look on his face, enjoyed a little too much bringing out this emotion in a dog, and Cinnamon, the devil in the smelly fur coat who lived next door. Yin and Yang coming together for a rare beautiful moment. Perfection. Now I only wish I could pan to the left and see the look on Dad's face. His hairy elbow is like the "Where's Waldo" in that picture. Maybe it's that awesome, scratchy, plaid couch that helps it? It's like camo for the hairy man. Anyway, I digest. Long story short, those were the days...

2008-04-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

So basically this is how it went, I was changing a dirty diaper of his, once again, and I says to myself, I says, "Why the heck am I doing all the work around here?" So I takes off his footy pajamas and I says,"son from now on, you need to earn yo keep! I want you to mow that lawn so well that I can see my face in it!" And you know what? You know what? He did. And after I actually saw the part that had my face in it, I had to throw it back over the neighbors fence. It's their dog! Seriously, anyone ever hear of a "pooper scooper" ? Sheesh!

2008-03-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

So we spent Easter weekend in Big Fork with Grandpa and Mimi and had, as always, an amazing time. We went to church, had fondue, played "Apples to Apples", and enjoyed the family time together that we don't get enough of. The Easter Mimi also visited and dropped off the coolest basket ever! Then we spent some time playing on the bottom of the lake where the water usually is in the summer and enjoyed the best views around! Bennett loved playing on the wet sand with Tanner and realized a little to late that the moisture and cold weather makes a baby's hands hurt when you play too hard. That's the pic where we're all hunching down with a painful look on our faces. So I helped Daddy zip Ben up inside his coat with him where he was happy and warm. Now we're just getting excited for the 4th of July parade so we can all dress up like freaks and shout weird phrases at the strangers on the street as we throw hard candy at their faces! YAYYYYY!!! We love going to Grandpa and Mimi's!

2008-03-18T13:07:00.003-07:00

2008-03-18T13:07:00.002-07:00

Our trip to Utah was really fun. We were there for Christina and Josh's wedding and they are so cute together by the way! Ben put up with the festivities and met some new cousins, aunts and uncles and got into just enough trouble to satisfy himself! It was beautiful and I almost forgot how bright the temple is when the sun is shining! I think I burned my corneas...seriously.

2008-03-18T13:07:00.001-07:00

He hasn't truly gotten a chance to play outside-ever! He was born in the winter and too little to really play outside when it was nice enough that I had him outside so he ran wild! It was so sweet.

2008-03-12T13:38:00.003-07:00

2008-03-12T13:38:00.001-07:00

Oh how time flies when you finally get your first car. It feels like only yesterday he was so young that he still used his pants as a toilet, and now he's driving. We got an amazing deal on the car. The company that manufactures it is call Mimi & My Toybox Inc. It's fully loaded (when he's actually in it and his diaper is at it's capacity). It's an automatic with a voice prompt system (much like On star), and as you can see, it's a convertible. So we'll have to see how it goes. He's not very fast in it but he definately has road rage that appears to be a new problem. He knows if he breaks the rules, we'll cut the string and keep the key. Wish us luck!

2008-02-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

This pic is a little old, but I just saw it again and I had to add it. This was a great day. Matt and I having a brotherly, sisterly moment. Look how happy we are. There in front of the colorful windows with the old wooden cowboy looking on with approval. It looks like Matt has the meal worm and I have the cricket. They were delicious. Crispy, the good kind. We tried both and I think I remember liking the cricket better than the maggot-looking meal worm, although it had it's own zing! MMmmmm...

2008-01-30T11:18:00.000-08:00

This pic is truly my days in a nut shell. "The Bennett" as Uncle Frank calls him, finds joy in the simple things. You know, ripping things, throwing things, opening, slamming, squishing, breaking, slapping, and I could go on, but I digest. He has a real talent for destruction. Which means, my back always hurts because of the time spent bending over to do damage control. And the weirdest part is, I love it. Even when he's throwing a tantrum while I'm changing a dirty diaper. And though that's a recipe for disaster, I don't care. I waited so long for this little destructo! I completely understand when people say it's like having your heart walking around outside your body. And it's the best feeling. :)

2008-01-28T11:04:00.002-08:00

President Gordon B. Hinckley

June 23, 1910-January 27, 2008

"The way will be lighter, the worries will be fewer, the confrontations will be less difficult if we cultivate a spirit of happiness."
Gordon B. Hinckley - Oct. Conf 2002

2008-01-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

Isn't it pretty? So "pretty" they had to cancel church! Richard loves it though and for being a desert boy, he drives really well in it. When I called Dad last night, he said their power was out and it was "starting to get cold" in the house. Ugh. SERENITY NOW!!!

2008-01-11T20:34:00.000-08:00

Cute huh? You should feel his left hook...no joke but seriously though. Ben's talking more and more everyday. His current favorites are; thank you, GO!, and ah-buh-dee? Really he is actually saying way too many to list an it is so stinkin' exciting! The weather here is crazy, Richard and I went spinning across four lanes of traffic after hitting some black ice last night! Not fun. I had to eat a lot of junk food and candy to comfort myself after that! Then again I have to eat a lot of junk food and candy to "comfort" myself after...well...anything! P.S. Tetris, you know what om talkin' bout!!!

2007-12-30T14:12:00.001-08:00

Here's a pic taken at the local waterin' hole. The wildlife there was amazing. Early on in the day, we stumbled upon this little forest dwelling water gnome. He was hilarious! He kept saying things like,"Dah-Dah" and "Goody"! We have no idea what he was trying to say. So we just took this picture and let the little guy go free again. Doesn't he look just like Olivia?! I love it!

2007-12-30T14:12:00.000-08:00

Holy Cow we have a ONE YEAR old! This year has been so amazing with little Ben, we love him SO MUCH! He wasn't so into the traditional "baby with birthday cake" thing so I had to show him how much fun it was. Then, of course, Richard repaid me with my own cake in the face. He does love his new toys though :)

2007-12-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

2007-12-12T21:38:00.000-08:00

These are my favorite leggins. Totally edible.

2007-12-06T21:15:00.004-08:00

The first snow and it was really beautiful. Richard was like a little school girl screeching with delight.

2007-12-06T21:15:00.003-08:00

I swear it was about 2 minutes of silence and I knew. So this was his first encounter with the flour. He was using his one little pointer finger to sample.

2007-12-06T21:15:00.002-08:00

He's walking! We can't believe it! And the absolute best is when he's in his diapey! He does the arms in the air Frankenstein walk and everything! It's amazing to watch your first baby take their first steps.

2007-12-06T21:15:00.001-08:00

Richard was giving Dad a haircut with the Flo-Bee. The next day we were served papers.

2007-12-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

Bennett was helping Uncle Brady (or "Dude" as Ben calls him) hook up some electronic stuff. Ya know, man stuff.

2007-11-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

See! So this is what I'm saying. Whitney and I thought it would be fun to build a snowman like old times and it was so stinkin' cold that this is the result. I practically stood her there, shoved the carrot in her nose, two sticks in her hand, placed the hat and scarf and said, "I'm out"! Just look at her face! My little snowman was freezing!

2007-11-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

Big Fork 4th of July. So I thought winter was always my favorite season...I was wrong. St. George enlightened me, but now I kind of loathe winter. My snowmen prove it!

2007-11-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

Big Fork Sunset. Makes me miss Grandma & Grandpa :)

2007-11-13T12:08:00.000-08:00

The distinguished Dr. Nelson...

2007-11-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

See ya next year flowers! Ugh...winter!

Pa and Ma

2007-11-12T21:30:00.000-08:00

What wonderful recent vacations we've had with Grampy and Mimi. We love them so much. Cute lil' love birds.

2007-11-11T17:22:00.000-08:00

Hi "everyone",
Well things here are moving along well and the weather is beautiful and getting chilly. We enjoyed our apple picking weekends but they ended to quickly! Little Ben was in my tummy last time we went so it was a little surreal. It's been such a fun summer! We've had the Matt and Heather Nelson family visit for a week, and we had such a great time! We went to parks and picked peaches and had two great days on the lake. Next, Bennett and I traveled down to St. George to go to cousin Maria's wedding. That was so great to see all of our family and all of the growth spurts that have happened! Maria and Dirk were adorable and Ben and I really loved the dancing at the reception! Uncle Brigham showed Bennett a great time on the dance floor too! The colors chosen were vibrant and beautiful and things seemed to go so smoothly. They deserved an amazing wedding day like that! We then went to Bigfork to spend some time with Grandpa and Mimi and had such a peaceful and happy weekend. It was really awesome. I loved the energy of that entire trip. Grandpa and Mimi helped us feel so good! And now we're home settling in for the cold temps. ahead and learning new things everyday. Ben is 9 months tomorrow! Time really does fly when everyday is happy and exciting through a baby's eyes. Especially because I feel the same way! Well this autumn is looking great already and I hope all of you have wonderful plans to enjoy all of the colors to come! Love, Ashley

Ash Portfolio Oct. 2005 046

2007-11-10T15:04:00.001-08:00

Ash Portfolio Oct. 2005 046
Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

California trip.

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2007-11-10T14:58:00.003-08:00

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Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

Falls Park 2005

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2007-11-10T14:58:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

Baby boy playing in the peas at Green Bluff Orchards.

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2007-11-10T14:57:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

Mom and Bennett gettin' down at cousin Maria's wedding. It was beautiful.

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2007-11-10T14:55:00.001-08:00

Dec. 4, 2006 051
Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

Utah road trip.

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2007-11-10T14:54:00.001-08:00

ash and rich 2006 and 19 weeks pregnant 002
Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

My man throws some beautiful pots!

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2007-11-10T14:52:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

The Davenport. End of the shoot and we decided to get down!

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2007-11-10T14:49:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

We were missing two but they were there in spirit...and watching us from behind that tree.

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2007-11-10T14:47:00.003-08:00

Picture 137
Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

Nano and Pooh Bear rockin' their matching jams.

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2007-11-10T14:47:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

Weeks old and snuggling with Daddy.

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2007-11-10T14:46:00.001-08:00

Ben's Baby shower 061
Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

My family! That was one of the most spiritual sacrament meetings I've experienced.

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2007-11-10T14:45:00.001-08:00

Ben's Baby shower 013
Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

Grandma and Grandpa Clark at Ben's blessing.

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2007-11-10T14:44:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

Eating strawberries and lovin' it!

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2007-11-10T14:43:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by yoashleyclark

Baby's first Flo-Bee haircut. I seriously thought those only exhisted on Wayne's World! "It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine..."