Timpanogos Cave

This Summer flew by so fast!! We didn't fit in as many activities this summer as we would have liked to. We did manage our annual Lagoon day, a day at Pineview Reservoir, Kylie's first year of Oakcrest, a couple doctors visits....and my absolute most favorite, Timpanogos Cave!!! My parents had never been up to the Cave, and I have always wanted to take them. I finally convinced them to go with us!! They LOVED it!! It was such a great experience to see their reactions to the canyon, the hike and of course the Cave!!

I just love this view!!

This little birdie followed us up most of the path (following the peanuts and cookies Kasey was leaving behind).

Then came this little squirrel...it kept taking the treats from the bird. So fun to watch the two of them.

Obviously there are so many amazing pictures within the cave....

The best part to me...The Heart!!!

The best thing about this entire day was that we created so many great memories with my parents!! Thanks Mom and Dad for an AWESOME day!!!!

Da Boyz Fishing Trip!!!

After 11 years of begging his Dad to take him fishing...Kasey got his Boyz Only Weekend!!

The crew that attended was Shane (Brother In Law), Dylan (Shane's Son), My Daddy, Jeff and Kasey. Shane's parents own a Cabin at the Strawberry Pinnacles, which is just past Strawberry reservoir. Kasey went up a day early with my Daddy, Shane and Dylan. Jeff Joined them at Strawberry Reservoir the next day.

On their first day at the lake they caught 10 fish, throwing back 3 of them. Kasey had a BLAST!! After fishing that day they went tubing down the river and went on the zip line. On the second day at the lake they caught 7 more fish, then they went tubing and hiking. They also roasted marshmallows by the fire! I am quite ticked that they came back with not one single picture of Jeff and Kasey together...or freak even just a picture with Jeff in it would have been nice! However, I am so very glad they had a telephone at their cabin. Kasey and Jeff were able to call and check in with us each day! Can you believe not even one injury the whole weekend! So happy that they had some Father and Son time!!

A Memory Kasey will have forever!!!

Kasey's FIRST FISH EVER!!!

He even gutted his fish!!

Kasey and Dylan displaying their catch for the day!

Tubing down the River!

My Daddy by the fire!!

PRICELESS MOMENTS!!!

Baseball 2010

What a great season!!

This was Kasey's first season with the Majors! He is just so tiny compared to the other boys on the league. I guess that is typical when you are a first year Major. He played with the Riverton League this year....and this is where he will play for the remainder of his youth baseball career. He played on the Cardinals this year!! His coaches, Larry and Kyle Price, are simply AMAZING!!!! We are absolutely thrilled with them!

His team took 2nd place in the league!!!! Here are a few great pictures from this season!!
He is just SO handsome!!!

We Freaking FROZE to death during all but one game!!

Literally Froze!!

His first pitch under the lights!!

He looks so dang tiny out on that mound!!

For some reason, I couldn't get the video of his First Pitch ever made under the lights to download.....STRIKE OUT!!! We were SOOO PROUD of him!!!

Check out his AWESOME Trophy!!!

14 Years!!!!

Wow! Can you believe it has been 14 years since Jeff and I were married!!! Crazy eh? For this post I thought I would go back in time....to the day Jeff and I met.

It was our Sophmore year of High School at Bingham High. We were both on the Debate team. We each had Debate class during different periods of the day. So, we didn't really know everyone on the team. At least not in the beginning. My best friend Ammie kept telling me about this boy in her class. Finally, one day she dragged me into the debate room to meet him. When we walked in there Ammie introduced me to Jeff and Kara. I immediately thought Kara was Jeff's girlfriend...I was a little disappointed. Ok so I was alot disappointed...cuz he was quite the hottie!! Turns out Kara was just his debate partner. After that day Ammie and I would hang out with Jeff during every tournament. I sure did like him...I did have a boyfriend at the time, so it was more just a natural attraction thing.

Shortly after we met Jeff had told me that he was taking ballroom dancing classes. I was kinda jealous...the girl he was supposed to go with was one of my friends. Well, turns out she couldn't make it to the classes...so Jeff invited me. Quite a few of the debators were also taking these classes...

After I think the second lesson, Jeff and I really started to like each other. We hid between two of the vending machines to talk. He even gave me a peck on the cheek...I broke up with my boyfriend so I could date Jeff. We shared our first kiss a couple weeks after that, at the top of the stairs by the history department.

Right around Valentines Day we were going on the Annual Debate Tour in California. Jeff and I rode together on the bus ALL the way to California. We talked, we cuddled, we talked some more...then throughout the entire trip we were inseparable!! Jeff bought me a necklace while we were there. It had red rhinestones in the shape of a heart...I loved it!! On Valentines day he gave it to me...and we went to dinner(with our team) at the Wharf in San Francisco. It was awesome...I LOVED him!!

Ok so, this story can't be perfect....and neither can I. I will reveal to you what happened..although I am not proud of it.

So, about half way home from California..Ammie and I were invited to join the Senior boys at the back of the bus. Ugh...so I ditched Jeff and sat with the Seniors the remainder of the ride home. Trust me, he will never let me live that down.

Once we were home from the trip...I had my friend Samantha break up with Jeff for me...terrible I know.

Our Junior year of High School, we didn't really associate much...I had a new boyfriend and he had a new girlfriend. As a matter of fact....he had even plotted with Samantha(during a time her and I weren't getting along) to put cow manure in my car!! Luckily, they never did.

We saw each other on the day we were registering for our Senior Year of high school...we talked a little about our boyfriend/girlfriends. Jeff and I really always had a connection...I just don't think we knew what it was or how to act on it.

During our Senior year, Jeff shared a locker with his friend Jeremy. Jeremy's locker was right by mine. My boyfriend had graduated the year before, so I was never with boys at school. However, Jeff would take Jenny to the locker and I swear, they would make out right in front of me just to make me jealous!! GRRR!! During this school year, Jeff and I had started talking...almost confiding in each other about life, and especially our love lifes. When Brandon and I would fight, I would go talk to Jeff...When Jenny and him would fight, he would come to me. We actually did this through most of our Senior year...and several months after graduation.

On September, 29th 1995; Jeff called me to invite me on a date. Of course I said yes...knowing that I still had a boyfriend, after all it was an innocent date! Jeff took me to a restaraunt called Shoney's, for dinner. Then we went to see Dangerous Minds in the theater. During the movie we both sat with our arms folded. Then we went to Red Robin for dessert after the movie. We sat and talked at Red Robin, playing finger football with the paper coasters. We were there until they closed at 1am. Jeff took me back home and gave me the biggest hug ever!!! I wished him a Happy Birthday and he left. I closed the door to my parents house and pretty much collapsed against the wall. I knew I loved him....I knew I was to be with him...it was the BEST date either one of us had ever been on.

The very next day I was supposed to go to the circus with my friend Brandee...but I really wanted to take Jeff. So, I went and bought a card and a rose..took them to Jeff's house and asked him if he would go to the circus with me. He turned me down....he said he was going to Dinner at Mulboons with his girlfriend Jenny. He proceeded to tell me that the only reason we had gone out the night before, is because Jenny had told him she wouldn't take him out for his birthday if he didn't go on a date with someone else first. UGH!! My heart ached!!!

I think it was sometime in October that my mom had gone to a psychic...the psychic had told her that I would finally get out of my bad relationship with Brandon and meet up with someone from my past. And that I would be married within five months of reconnecting. I called Jeff and told him and we both just laughed it off.

And that was the last I had heard from him......Until January 6th 1996. Jeff called me around 5pm that day...he said "guess what I got?" I obliged..he said..."why don't I come over and show you?" I then flipped back to the other line where I had been talking to Ammie about our plans for the night. I told Ammie she had to come over right away...so she did. When Jeff showed up at my parents house....I was instantly in love again!! He took Ammie and I outside and showed us his awesome Chevrolet Silverado!! After we talked for a bit, I told him Ammie and I needed to get ready...we were going dancing that night.

Jeff said he was going to ice cream with his family but maybe he would show up at the dance later. Of course I didn't believe him....

Ammie and I had been at the dance for a while...I was dancing with some guy I had met the week before at another dance. The song playing was "I cross my heart" by George Strait. I looked over and saw Jeff in the center of the dance floor...standing alone...staring at me. I instantly broke the hold this guy had on me and walked away right in the middle of the song. I walked and then ran right into Jeff's arms!! At that moment...NO ONE was in that room besides us. It truly was a magical moment!!!

We were married.....5 months later!!!!!
And our "First Dance" at our wedding was to "I cross my Heart" by Geaorge Strait.

And thus began our life as Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Clark

Change

March proved to be a very challenging month!! On top of everything going on in our personal lives. I was asked to take on a new challenge at work. They had to let another Director go and asked me to take that store. This store needs alot of work...nothing I can't handle right? lol

So, now I have been in the Riverton store for a month. It has been a long month but so far We have made great success. The staff in this store is simply awesome!! Just last week we had our Regional Directors meeting. I was asked to give a presentation...SCARY!! I was SO excited about this opportunity. I took this challenge to the max...asked my staff to get involved and had it perfected. Then the day came...I was nervous the whole day!! Then the last hour of the meeting it was my turn to stand up for my presentation. I started off just perfect, with an aweome quote by Dale Carnegie "If you want to gather honey, don't kick over the beehive". Then...I Froze up!! I managed to sputter a couple words and then just showed the video my staff helped prepare. They did such an amazing job!! I am so proud to have them as part of my team. The most awesome part is....the Regional Director of the Canyon Region even used them in part of his presentation. Once I can get the video downloaded I will put it on here for you to see. Keep your eyes out for the Adventure Boyz!!!

Our family will never be the same!

March 15th, 2010 our family lost the most amazing, loving, compassionate family member ever!! Doc had been having seizures for about 2 weeks before his passing, so we knew it was close. But, nothing could have prepared us for the pain we have felt without him. Maybe I speak more for myself, but I know it has been extremely hard on all of us. With each of his seizures we would all lay around him and pet him, just praying he would pull through..and everytime...he would. Matter of fact, he would just jump up and act like nothing ever happened. Just the day before his passing, he was having a seizure in my room and Kasey went to grab him a treat. When kasey set the treat next to his face...he jumped right up and gobbled it down.

The day he passed away I had cuddled with him that morning, before I went to work. I went to work for a couple hours and came right back home. Then I got a call from work and needed to head back there for just a minute. Well, I guess when we were walking out of the house Doc came out from under the bed. He made it half way through the room and went into a seizure. All three kids were home with him, they gathered around him and tried to talk him through it. Then Kasey went to get him a treat...only this time he didn't get up. Kylie got the kids out of the room, then she layed down next to Doc, pet him and talked to him as he passed away. Kylie doesn't talk much about this experience and I can definitely understand why. After he passed away she walked out of the room, closed the door and calmly went to the neighbors house to call us (her phone wasn't working). When I answered the phone I was helping a customer at work. I said "hello" and Kylie calmly said matter of factly "Doc just died". I dropped the phone, walked away from the customer and just broke down. Luckily, Jeff was there to catch me. Poor customer had no idea what had just happened...my awesome employee knew by my reaction what had happened. She took right over at the store and Jeff and I drove home. When I walked into my bedroom and saw my precious baby laying in his feces and vomit...I felt as though my whole world had come to an end! Jeff and I both layed next to him and pet his now hard body. I was so upset that I wasn't there to comfort him during his passing. Kylie was just SOOO mature through this whole thing. Poor Kennadie said that while he was having the seizure, she could hear him trying to breath. She said "Mommy, he just couldn't catch his breath". Honestly, my children have handled this ten times better than me! Kennadie tells me everyday (even now a month later) not to cry. My heart just aches for him to be by my side!! We burried him in my parents backyard. Right next to Cody(my childhood dog). It used to be called Cody Corner..now it is Dog corner. Words cannot describe the constant ache in my heart. I know he is in a much better place and can run and even jump again! Doc has been there through every single malady that our family has been through in the past 8 years. We actually got him when I was extremely sick and incoherent. The name Doc came from the title Doctor. He was my Doctor through everything...right up on my bed next to me after every surgery, hospital stay and even simple colds. He stuck around to make sure I could stay healthy...simply an amazing companion!! We will surely miss him!!

Chess anyone?

A couple months ago Kennadie brought home a paper about a Chess tournament. I kinda just ignored it cuz really I didn't know she was interested in Chess. A couple days before the tournament Kenna said "Mom I really need to register for the tournament". I asked her if she even knew how to play chess and she said "Yes, I play everyday during recess". Ok so I sure dont get Mother of the Year award! Who knew?? Well, I got her registered for the tournament and we spent an entire Saturday watching hundreds of elementary kids play...or should I say..fight to play Chess. It was amazing to me to see how intense this event was. This was a regional tournament, so there were kids there from all over the valley. Kasey's third grade teacher had a kid in the tournament. When his kid didn't win one of the matches, he flipped out on the judge. We saw a totally different side to that man!! Too Funny! Kennadie did Awesome in this tournament! There were hundreds of kids there and at least 30 of them were second graders. We got to watch from windows separating the rooms. She was so fun to watch...she really got into it!! She came out of there so happy...and we were just SO proud of her!! She took 10th place of all the second graders. She is now on the school Chess club and plays every day! We look forward to her next tournament.