Holiday Greetings

I LOVE this time of year ...

because it's CHRISTMAS CARD TIME!

I love receiving them. When I pick up the mail each day I have such fun opening all the photos, family updates, reading the corny letters, etc.
I also LOVE making ours! It gives me a good excuse to jump on photoshop - an addictive hobby I rarely indulge in these days but even Randy doesn't mind helping with the kids for the finished product.


This year we went to a beach in Malibu in December - that's right, it was warm enough in DECEMBER to set up our tripod and take this shot.
Calvin was the best participant being that he fell asleep after a few snaps.

 

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

THREE is a bit INSANE

As I'm writing this I have baby Calvin strapped in the Bjorn so he will take a nap and I can get something done... Caroline is placing princess stickers around the house... Cooper is telling me he has superhero clothes and regular human clothes and he can NEVER show me his superhero moves because I'm not a superhero - I beg to differ and normally I would argue with his logic but I will let it go today because I'd rather type in (somewhat) silence!

Things are a bit INSANE around our house at the moment which is why I haven't posted since just after Calvin was born. I'm still trying to get my footing with three - I know it will come. I am so thankful for the moments when I see kindness from Cooper and Caroline and the protectiveness they feel for Calvin already.

Climbing in the crib - they were reprimanded AFTER I took the picture.

And now it is 2 days from when I started this post. I WILL finish!

This is why I LOVE California. We went swimming... outside... the week before Thanksgiving.



Then off to southern Utah for Thanksgiving. So fun since we haven't done that in 5 years. Cliff, Jessi and I took the kids to a movie (3D). I couldn't resist interrupting everyone's viewing to snap a pic since it's the stillest I've seen Cooper since we played the "freeze" game:

Calvin met his cousin Curtis who is 2 days older than him! Jessi was 8 days late with Curtis (moan for her!) and I was 1 day early with Calvin. Can you tell which one is mine???

More family fun with Grandpa Clark's birthday.

And an attack on Uncle Mike

(btw: he is my SINGLE, 30-year-old, returned missionary, total menace to society, great with kids, LOVE him, younger brother - I'm just throwin' that out there).

And I'm posting THIS for all the baby-hungry ladies out there...

SERIOUSLY...

SOOOO SWEET!

Another snap of all 3:

I'll leave with a story of true love. Cooper had a (pre)school production for Christmas.

It was adorable. They sang songs and attempted choreography - bless his teachers! One thing was missing the day before the show... the main MAN. The big CHEESE. The one who delivers PRESENTS.

Do you recognize him?

Let's just say I had to promise a few things I am not at liberty to discuss at the present (get it?) time.

I love you Randy!!

A Baby Story

I am so EXCITED that our third baby has arrived... and he's a healthy little boy. We named him Calvin after Randy's grandfather and Ralph after my father. Are you ready for the story?

Ok, we've met some awesome people since moving to southern California this summer. Despite my worries that our kids might accompany us to the hospital when I started labor (until my parents arrived) we had many offers to take our children for us. So late Wednesday night (about 10:30pm) my contractions were starting to get UNCOMFORTABLE. Ladies with babies - you know what I'm talking about. We called for my parents to pack their bags and hop in the car then we called the Jeffords who were amazing to offer to take our children weeks ago when we were very new to the area - and then insisted on us taking them up on their offer.

Off we went to the hospital.

I received my epidural (sweetness) at midnight and then things went astray. Nothing big... I could just FEEL EVERYTHING despite my nurse insisting it would only take 15 more minutes to kick in, another dose of medicine and 15 more minutes. Then insistance to see the anesthesiologist again from Randy, then a DEMAND to see her from me, then ANOTHER dose of medicine and still NOTHING - well, I mean EVERYTHING. I started to FREAK OUT! I had not prepared for a natural birth, I couldn't get my breathing under control, the pain was aweful! I wanted to climb the WALLS but I settled for biting Randy's had instead (not intentionally). It was then we decided I needed ANOTHER epidural - the whole thing over again. It was better than the pain I was feeling. Five hours later with my nurse and Randy HOLDING ME STILL the anesthesiologist gave me another shot in the back and THANKFULLY this time it worked.

Burke O'neal - where were you when I needed you!!!! Washington? Idaho? Just kidding, but kind of not kidding. Randy promises we will know the anesthesiologist next time. Oh, how I missed Iowa in those hours. All the good doctors I knew there!

At 6:33 am on Thursday, October 20th, 2011 CALVIN arrived. I was so happy to see him it made it all worth it.

He weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. and was 19" long.

My protests of sticking to the same letter in the alphabet apparently fell on deaf ears, and I have to admit I have always liked the name Calvin. We now have the following monkeys in our household:
Cooper Ray
Caroline Jane (C.J.)
Calvin Ralph

The kids are LOVING him and learning to be a little softer than normal. Randy and I doubted Calvin's survival odds the first day we brought him home. After a few days they stopped trying to climb in his crib or feed him snacks. They even know to wash hands if either of them want to touch him.

My parents stayed for a week to help me out and my mother-in-law arrived last night to stay this week. I don't know how easy it will be after she leaves and it's just me... so for now I'm taking all the naps I can get and soaking up this little guy while I can get one-on-one time. Any advice from you mothers out there? I'd love to hear it.

Loving my life! Hope you are as well.

Beach Days... and more

We are loving the weather in southern California... well, as long as we're at the beach with the ocean breeze. Otherwise it's a little too hot for me and my growing belly. Cooper and CJ would play in the sand ALL DAY if we let them. Here is one of the rare occasions that Randy was able to come with us - hooray! I love that Dad can throw the kids in the air and be rough with them.

They LOVE it too.

We have also met a few people who have access to pools...

so that is the next place we've spent our summer days. Here is Caroline with her new buddy Megan.



Cooper played soccer at the Reseda Recreation Center. I volunteered to make the team banner..

and here is my attempt. It's been a while since I've made cheerleading signs :)

Randy and I couldn't believe how good the kids were that Cooper played with. They were more like 8-year-olds that 4 & 5. It made Coop step up his game - always a good thing - and I chilled out a little more than last time he played on a team. In fact, before this league started Cooper made me promise that I wouldn't get mad EVER at any games. I kept my promise. I also didn't get any good pictures that weren't a bit blurred but I guess that's good since he was running so much. Cooper is the fuzz in yellow below.

I just thought this picture was too cute I had to post it. I love that Cooper has freckles on his nose these days. It reminds me of his sweet buddy Hannah Judd, who we are MISSING now that her family is in Nashville.

"Jimmy" the lizard was an adventure one summer night. Coop caught it outside with Randy and kept it in a jar for a day. We took him out to feed him a bug the next night. Randy wasn't home and, in retrospect, I should have known better. I figured it was fine for Coop to handle him since he caught him in the first place. No sooner had I taken this picture than Jimmy bit his finger. Well, he dropped Jimmy, picked him back up and was bit again. This time Cooper started shaking his hand to get him off, the glass jar he was in fell and shattered, and Jimmy's tail came off. Poor Jimmy went soaring and his tail... twitched for AT LEAST 3 minutes. It was enough to make me throw up! I told Cooper that Jimmy needed to find his mommy to make him better so we couldn't catch him again.

Randy covers HS football on Friday nights and College football Saturday nights. We love to watch games and the kids have been troopers sitting in the stands with me. We make a special treat to take with us which usually keeps them excited for at least the first half. Then we find a grassy spot to run on during the second. Here they are at the HS game in Valencia.

One more picture. This one with me and my big belly. I'm up to an additional 55+ lbs. with a few weeks to go. I may hit 60 again - hopefully I can RUN it all off like the last 2 times. This has been by far my nicest pregnancy overall. The bad nausia stopped around 22 weeks or so, much sooner than the others. It has seemed like the longest with all the IVF treatments. We're getting excited and ready!

 Love from the Clarks.

HE PASSED!!

We found out last night that Randy PASSED his Orthopaedic Surgery Board Exam - YEA!!!

I'm so proud of him and all the HARD work he has done to get to this point.

We hope all of our friends taking the test had the same news as we did and can breathe a little easier.

Now we just need to find a good way to celebrate :)

Cross the Plains

It was finally time for us the PACK UP and leave Iowa. My mom and Randy's dad came to help us with everything and we are SOOO glad they did! I know everyone says you don't realize how much work moving is until you have to do it - but it is TRUE. I had a good excuse to get out of the heavy lifting, with the pregnant belly and all, but to clean EVERYTHING was such a big deal by itself.

Here are the kids with the last few items right before we left our empty house:

Randy and his Dad drove the biggest Penske truck available with a car in tow. You will have to ask Randy how he almost took out a few parked cars in California. Glad I wasn't them:

The kids, my Mom, and I left the next morning at a LEISURELY pace to travel to southern Utah. Our first stop was the Omaha Zoo.

We drove about 7-8 hours for 3 days, stopping at parks and hotels along the way - for the kids' sanity (and mine). And then a LOT of breaks for stretching. We made it to my parents' house in southern Utah just in time for the 4th of July. We enjoyed an awesome fireworks display off the porch, compliments of my brother Paul and his wife Natalia. Caroline was NOT a fan of the noise, but liked the lights.

Meanwhile, Randy and his Dad drove to California, moved ALL of our furniture in to our house, set EVERYTHING up (even tried to organize the kitchen). Randy studied and took his Board Exam, then they drove to southern Utah to see us. Randy was in need of R&R, so they took off on the motorcycles!

And we hiked Red Cliffs:

Feeling a bit recovered, we joined my family and cousins at the Renaissance Fair. Cooper and Tyler had fun beating each other with foam swords and running around the park with the other cousins.

I think they're talking "strategy" here.

Cindy and I wore dresses compliments of my Mom's amazing sewing ability.

Enough of the fair, time to go fishing at Kids Pond up Cedar Canyon.

Anybody need a worm?

Then to northern Utah to visit more cousins!

And what vacation would be complete without a little mountain biking. Neither Greg nor Randy had been for a while, so when I dropped them off at the top of the canyon I figured I should take a picture in case the police needed a recent photo - just kidding boys (kind of).

And one more picture with the Grey cousins before we head to California!

 I found that you can bribe a kid to do anything for an ICEE.

Saying Goodbye to Iowa

We are settled in to our new home in southern California... but I need to post goodbyes from our home for the last FIVE YEARS in beautiful Iowa.

Goodbye to my AWESOME preschool co-op for the last 2 years. It was fun to watch each of your children learn and grow - and teach Cooper as well. He keeps saying how he wants to do "Mommy's preschool" again.

Such a happy kid:

Goodbye to camping at Sugar Bottom with the BUGS and the HEAT - these boys (Randy & Jon) had to get one last camp in before we left. I came to visit them around 8:30pm and was SWEATING even after the sun went down. I lasted 15 minutes before I said goodbye and went home to shower and sleep like a sane person.



Goodbye to Wisconsin Dells. Four hours away we took one last trip with good friends, the Boyers, this Spring. Despite Randy's look in this picture HE was the one who pushed for this trip and he had FUN.

Goodbye to T-Ball with all of Cooper's buddies. I think Cooper was the BEST outfield dirt-digger in the group. He said he loved it and when I asked him why he told me, "because of the treats!" Kid knows what he likes.

Goodbye to swimming lessons with Becky. Cooper's turned in to quite the swimmer! He doesn't like water slides but will jump in to any pool... no matter how deep. (Don't know if that's a GOOD thing.)

Goodbye to HERKIE - our kids' favorite mascot.

Goodbye to lots of FRIENDS who made Iowa such a great place to live! Here are just a few of my favorite girls I laughed with, cried with, helped me become a better mom with, loved spending time with and if you're NOT pictured here... it's only because I have minimal pictures saved on my computer (since the move) right now.



Goodbye to our sweet neighbor, "Grandpa Frank". Cooper and Caroline keep asking when he is going to come and visit or if we can go to his house. Such a good neighbor - we will miss you.

Lots more goodbyes to a wonderful FIVE years that went by too fast (in retrospect).

Caroline in the GREEN grass I will miss terribly.

Had to add this one just for laughs. Randy teases me that I should shave instead of wax - never going to happen, even if you've convinced CJ it is fun (razor was removed for this activity).

Our LARGE moving truck before it was filled... but that is another post. GOODBYE IOWA!