FIVE!!

Happy 5th Birthday David! We can't believe how fast you're growing up!

Taking a look back...
We miss the rolls of chub...

You have always been a really good brother and member of the family. You are so sweet to your sisters and Blake is lucky to have your example.

My heart skips a little beat when I see this picture. Reminds me of my days of having a VERY BUSY 18 month old boy and baby Kate. You made those years exciting, exhausting and memorable!

...and my heart melts when I see this beyond sweet smile from those same years...

No more troublemaking as bad as this...

or as stubborn as this... (your first father and sons)

We are blessed to have a loving 5 year old like you.
We love you David and all the joy you bring to our family! Happy Birthday!

A new season

My Dad recently retired at end of February from 25 years at APS.

Funny story, a few weekends before his last day of work,

my mom was rushing around the house doing some cleaning and organizing.

She started to noticed that my Dad would follow her into every room

and eventually got closer and started walking behind her in the hallways.

Finally he got so close and was standing over her...she looked at him and said,

"What are you doing Joe?!?"

My Dad said, "This is what it's going to be like, Marilee. Better get used to it!"

It's fun to see he and my mom enjoying their newest season together :)

My mom retired from 20 years of teaching (mostly 1st grade) a couple years ago

and has since filled her time with a year of teaching early morning seminary,

gardening, doing loads of geneology (till the wee hours of the morning--she's addicted), recovering from knee replacement surgery, working in the temple
andof course, being with her grandchildren.
Last summer, we celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary

and this year is their retirement, my dad's 65th birthday

and now they will leave for their mission this summer.

They turned in their papers a couple weeks ago and are now waiting for their call.

We are all so excited and are having the grandkids & parents guess where they will go.

We are so happy to see my dad reach this point in his life...he has always worked hard at home, church and work. Me and my siblings put together a book with some pictures and each of our thoughts to him. I was touched by what they wrote to him and

I was able to see that each of us have been greatly blessed by his example in our life.

David O. Mckay said, "What your thoughts are will largely determine what your acts will be."

My Dad's thoughts have always been turned to the most important and sacred things in this life.

His actions showed me and impressed me how important those things should be.

He always took time out of his busy work and church schedule to make sure

his wife and 7 children felt loved and special.

He was always serving others and fulfilled his callings

above and beyond what was asked of him.

He was the same with his work...always above and beyond.

He loved what he did and was good at it too.

He always kept a positive, happy attitude, just like one of his favorite songs

(I can hear his voice loudly ringing out in church):

'Put your shoulder to the wheel; push along

Do your duty with a heart full of song,

We all have work; let no one shirk.

Put your shoulder to the wheel.'

Happy Retirement Dad...love you.

*****

These pictures (stolen from my sis-in-law) were from our little Clark family reunion around Easter Weekend (pictures coming eventually). During the time we spent together as siblings (all there!) and cousins, we threw my Dad a Retirement Party. Thanks to my other sis-in-law Karin and my brother Bryan and all their hard work they put into this fun night! We were split up into families and went to different stations to learn about Papa and what kind of jobs he had and we called it, "GET PAPA TO RETIREMENT". They were all fun to play out together and I think they stuck in our kid's minds.

It was a fun night and a perfect way to celebrate my Dad.

Papa's first job was a newspaper route so we threw newspapers and had to aim them to land on a door mat.

We practiced our sharp shooting just like Papa did in the Army with this cool little laser gun.

At BYU Papa's job was to walk around campus and change out the burned out lightbulbs. We unscrewed the lightbulb in one lamp and screwed it into the other. We raced to see who could do it the fastest!

Papa worked at a Service Station, pumping gas. We pumped "gas" into a gas can.

Papa painted houses. Each family was assigned a different part of the house to paint.

Papa taught school. We wrote our ABC's.

Papa sold and distributed video games (they still own the old school Mario Bros and Ms. Pac Man) We rolled pennies....this was my kids favorite station!

Papa worked as a trainer for APS. We played the game "telephone".

...that's what little boys are made of.

a

[see? mom IS camera happy]

...and everything nice.

(still on my quest to get Kate to pose for some more pictures.....)

Do you like green eggs and ham?

I do not like them mom-I-am.

I do not like green eggs and ham.

Would you like them on St. Patrick's Day?

I would not like them any day.

Spring Break

Whoa I just realized how many pictures I'm behind on! Or maybe I just take way too many. So here was our spring break enjoying the amazing weather outside...

[Anna talked Jay into pulling her first top tooth...hilarious video to come later]

[aspiring movie stars Anna and Halle...also happen to be cousins]

[My favorite part of spring break was planting the garden...the kids were so excited and have been asking for weeks. Well my workers' attention and excitment wore off quickly after they realized the hard labor required of them. Except Anna who stuck it out for the next couple of hours. She was very helpful and kept telling me that she had no idea how hard it would be to plant a garden. Me too, Anna, me too. Now I remember why I had Jay do it all last year. Hoping it will all pay off...]