Springtime fun in the Midwest

So yesterday evening, we decided to go up to the lake up the road from our house and see if we could catch any fish. I almost didn't go because how could I pass up a little bit of time by myself! Chris would have taken both kids, but then I decided - either I can sit at home by myself, or sit and watch them. I am glad I did because I got some cute pictures, plus it was fun just being all together (Chris was away most of the week)! Zach is getting pretty good at casting out his line. Maybe he will end up a fisherman like his old man!
Chloe wanted to be right down with Chris (I was too boring, plus she was sick of me taking pictures of her).

We were having a great time when all the sudden the tornado sirens went off! They went off right as Chris caught the first and only fish of the night! They were just going off to warn that their was a thunderstorm blowing in. We didn't even notice it creaping up behind us while we fished. So we took a few more pictures, and then headed on home.

Shortly after we got home, this is how the sky looked! It was awesome!!! I love a good thunderstorm! It reminds me of growing up in good old Missouri and standing under the eaves of the house watching and smelling the rain. Love it! Luckily now, we have a covered porch, so we can sit outside in the pouring rain and enjoy it.....as long as the wind is not blowing the rain horizontal. The clouds soon calmed down and we didn't get much rain from this little batch of clouds. As the clouds moved out about sunset time, we got to enjoy an absolutely beautiful sunset! These are the kind of sunsets I remember ALL the time in MO. So pretty! That is one highlight of being back here in the midwest. I love the storms (as long as they are not tornadic, love the sunsets, and LOVE all the trees and green!).

I don't know if you can see it, but a faint rainbow came out. Zach wanted to go see if there was a pot of gold at the other end.This morning after a long night of thunderstorms, we got even more rain. The lightning and thunder were intense. Now a big area of the state, including where we are at is flooding - and having flash floods. So - the downside of a good thunderstorm. Hopefully the rain will slow down and the rivers won't flood too much more. The river in town was spilling over its banks today onto the bike trail that is next to it. Chris thinks it has probably risen about 8-9 ft. to be able to spill over the onto the trail. Crazy! This is what the drainage easement looked like at the back of our yard this morning!Here is a little video of the storm blowing in when we got home last night.
Hope all of you Midwesterners that don't live here anymore enjoyed reminising about the fun weather out here!

"A Dream Come True!"

This old (extremely loud) tractor was given to Chris a month or so ago. He fixed it up and got it working again. Zach has been so excited and said, "I have always dreamed of having a rider and I never thought it would come true! This is a dream come true!!" Yes, if you haven't figured out by his stories and things he says - pretty much all he thinks about are cars or anything with motors. Anyway - this is just a little video clip of him cutting the grass all by himself for the very first time! He was quite excited!!! You can hear Chloe in the background asking to drive it too! (my neighbors grass is lovely, don'tcha think!)

Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My!!

(I started this post a week or so ago, and forgot to finish it! Sorry!) Well - I don't really have any pictures of the lions, tigers and bears we saw.....just thought the name was catchy for this post. Anyway - Thursday, the 29th, my good friend TJ and I took our kids plus 2 friends to the Indianapolis Zoo. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work chasing after 5 kids, but great to get out and do something we haven't done in a while. The kids got pretty worn out, but did a great job trekking through the zoo. About lunchtime, TJ's hubby showed up and helped carry those with weary legs on his shoulders! That was a great help!

TJ and Evan with Chloe and I. Chloe and Evan have a pre-arranged marriage!! Hopefully they won't mind!!!

We had a blast watching the dolphin show! I have always enjoyed them. I am amazed how smart they are!
Chloe got a kick out of this cute monkey hanging right in front of us. He just sat there letting us check out his pits for a bit! Chloe talked about this monkey for a few days after the zoo.
Just love this picture of Evan so I had to include it!
Chloe woke up with a slight fever the day of our zoo trip. She was pretty laid back the entire time at the zoo, but stuck it out. I still don't know what her fever was from, but she had it off and on for 3 days or so. It even got up to 103.0! Then all the sudden, she was better. Whatever it was got fixed from the fever.

One of the highlights for the kids was petting the sharks. They would swim by you and then you reach over the short wall and pet them. This was Zach's favorite thing to see.

Bily Bob Jo - The Official

By: Zach Stimpson

Once there was a dumb guy. His name was Bily Bob Jo. He ate everything in the store and went to the bathroom out in the middle of no where and had to burp 2 times in the store. He was an odd man. He lived in a stall in the girls room. He ran up and down the halls of the school screaming. Would you like to have him in your home? Well that's all. Bye.


For all those that still have sweet wonderful little boys.....beware!!! Your time will come too that your child will write these nice, sweet, make you proud type stories!! Or maybe your children will be more refined then mine..........guess we will see......!

Last Day of 2nd grade!!!

Well, it's official! My handsome Zach has finished 2nd grade and now thinks he wants to go to 3rd. Wasn't he just crawling around in diapers not that long ago? It's so not fair how fast he is growing up! He had a great year! He has grown up so much this past year and is turning out to be quite the guy! The other boy in this picture is his best bud, Connor. He is our neighbor and I also watched him every day after school this year. It was great having a play buddy for Zach.

We celebrated the end of school this afternoon (they had a half day) by taking a picnic lunch to the park and then playing for 2 hours! It was an absolutely gorgeous day today - about 70 degrees, breezy and not a cloud in the sky! Oh, and NO humidity! Just beautiful! The park was packed with kids and parents enjoying the afternoon. The boys played tag for a bit and then decided the huge sandbox looked pretty fun. Chloe thought the "sleed" (slide) was tons of fun, as well as the swings. I am grateful Zach is out of school now and that we will have more time to spend together.

Smell the flower Chloe!!

Chloe had picked me a flower on her walk and wanted to smell it. (Notice it is more blowing than smelling!) Darling girl!


Yesterday Chloe kept going up to her room and getting lots of "hair bows" to put in her hair. She wanted to sit on the bathroom counter and tell me how to put them in too! I am not quite sure why she was so into it, but it was fun to watch her reaction when it was done. She just kept flipping her head back and forth, smiling at herself and thinking she was so beautiful! I have to agree with her though!

Last week I just happened to have my camera handy while she went out and played in the rain. She had a lot of fun wearing Zach's old rain jacket! Now she thinks she has to wear it all the time! Zach's bus got home right as she was playing and she took off running to go see him! She was SO excited he was home!!!

Do you have a few minutes to read??

I know most of you have heard or read this talk. The last few weeks have been especially difficult and this talk has helped me through some rough times. I am grateful for our leaders and for their guidance. Read or reread it when you have time.

Daughters of God

Daughters of God
Elder M. Russell Ballard Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

There is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood.
Brothers and sisters, recently my wife, Barbara, had back surgery and could not lift, twist, or bend. Consequently, I have done more lifting, twisting, and bending than ever before—and it has made me more appreciative of what women, and especially you mothers, do every day in our homes.

While women live in homes under many different circumstances—married, single, widowed, or divorced, some with children and some without—all are beloved of God, and He has a plan for His righteous daughters to receive the highest blessings of eternity.

This afternoon I want to focus my remarks primarily on mothers, particularly on young mothers.

As a young father, I learned the demanding role of motherhood. I served as a counselor and then as bishop for a period of 10 years. During that time we were blessed with six of our seven children. Barbara was often worn-out by the time I got home Sunday evening. She tried to explain what it was like to sit on the back row in sacrament meeting with our young family. Then the day came that I was released. After sitting on the stand for 10 years, I was now sitting with my family on the back row.

The ward’s singing mothers’ chorus was providing the music, and I found myself sitting alone with our six children. I have never been so busy in my whole life. I had the hand puppets going on both hands, and that wasn’t working too well. The Cheerios got away from me, and that was embarrassing. The coloring books didn’t seem to entertain as well as they should.

As I struggled with the children through the meeting, I looked up at Barbara, and she was watching me and smiling. I learned for myself to more fully appreciate what all of you dear mothers do so well and so faithfully!

A generation later, as a grandfather, I have watched the sacrifices my daughters have made in rearing their children. And now, still another generation later, I am watching with awe the pressures on my granddaughters as they guide their children in this busy and demanding world.

After observing and empathizing with three generations of mothers and thinking of my own dear mother, I surely know that there is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood.

There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family. Many are able to be “full-time moms,” at least during the most formative years of their children’s lives, and many others would like to be. Some may have to work part- or full-time; some may work at home; some may divide their lives into periods of home and family and work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else.

I am impressed by countless mothers who have learned how important it is to focus on the things that can only be done in a particular season of life. If a child lives with parents for 18 or 19 years, that span is only one-fourth of a parent’s life. And the most formative time of all, the early years in a child’s life, represents less than one-tenth of a parent’s normal life. It is crucial to focus on our children for the short time we have them with us and to seek, with the help of the Lord, to teach them all we can before they leave our homes. This eternally important work falls to mothers and fathers as equal partners. I am grateful that today many fathers are more involved in the lives of their children. But I believe that the instincts and the intense nurturing involvement of mothers with their children will always be a major key to their well-being. In the words of the proclamation on the family, “Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

We need to remember that the full commitment of motherhood and of putting children first can be difficult. Through my own four-generation experience in our family, and through discussions with mothers of young children throughout the Church, I know something of a mother’s emotions that accompany her commitment to be at home with young children. There are moments of great joy and incredible fulfillment, but there are also moments of a sense of inadequacy, monotony, and frustration. Mothers may feel they receive little or no appreciation for the choice they have made. Sometimes even husbands seem to have no idea of the demands upon their wives.

As a Church, we have enormous respect and gratitude to you mothers of young children. We want you to be happy and successful in your families and to have the validation and support you need and deserve. So today, let me ask and briefly answer four questions. While my answers may seem extremely simple, if the simple things are being tended to, a mother’s life can be most rewarding.

The first question: What can you do, as a young mother, to reduce the pressure and enjoy your family more?

First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.

Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”(Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).

Second, don’t overschedule yourselves or your children. We live in a world that is filled with options. If we are not careful, we will find every minute jammed with social events, classes, exercise time, book clubs, scrapbooking, Church callings, music, sports, the Internet, and our favorite TV shows. One mother told me of a time that her children had 29 scheduled commitments every week: music lessons, Scouts, dance, Little League, day camps, soccer, art, and so forth. She felt like a taxi driver. Finally, she called a family meeting and announced, “Something has to go; we have no time to ourselves and no time for each other.” Families need unstructured time when relationships can deepen and real parenting can take place. Take time to listen, to laugh, and to play together.

Third, even as you try to cut out the extra commitments, sisters, find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests. Pick one or two things that you would like to learn or do that will enrich your life, and make time for them. Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others, even to your children. Avoid any kind of substance abuse, mistakenly thinking that it will help you accomplish more. And don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the Internet. Turn to the Lord in faith, and you will know what to do and how to do it.

Fourth, pray, study, and teach the gospel. Pray deeply about your children and about your role as a mother. Parents can offer a unique and wonderful kind of prayer because they are praying to the Eternal Parent of us all. There is great power in a prayer that essentially says, “We are steward-parents over Thy children, Father; please help us to raise them as Thou wouldst want them raised.”

The second question: What more can a husband do to support his wife, the mother of their children?

First, show extra appreciation and give more validation for what your wife does every day. Notice things and say thank you—often. Schedule some evenings together, just the two of you.

Second, have a regular time to talk with your wife about each child’s needs and what you can do to help.

Third, give your wife a “day away” now and then. Just take over the household and give your wife a break from her daily responsibilities. Taking over for a while will greatly enhance your appreciation of what your wife does. You may do a lot of lifting, twisting, and bending!

Fourth, come home from work and take an active role with your family. Don’t put work, friends, or sports ahead of listening to, playing with, and teaching your children.

The third question: What can children, even young children, do? Now, you children, please listen to me because there are some simple things you can do to help your mother.

You can pick up your toys when you are finished playing with them, and when you get a little older, you can make your bed, help with the dishes, and do other chores—without being asked.

You can say thank you more often when you finish a nice meal, when a story is read to you at bedtime, or when clean clothes are put in your drawers.

Most of all, you can put your arms around your mother often and tell her you love her.

The last question: What can the Church do?

There are many things the Church offers to mothers and families, but for my purpose today may I suggest that the bishopric and the ward council members be especially watchful and considerate of the time and resource demands on young mothers and their families. Know them and be wise in what you ask them to do at this time in their lives. Alma’s counsel to his son Helaman applies to us today: “Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6).

I hope all of you dear sisters, married or single, never wonder if you have worth in the sight of the Lord and to the leaders of the Church. We love you. We respect you and appreciate your influence in preserving the family and assisting with the growth and the spiritual vitality of the Church. Let us remember that “the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”). The scriptures and the teachings of the prophets and apostles help all family members to prepare together now to be together through all eternity. I pray that God will continually bless the women of the Church to find joy and happiness in their sacred roles as daughters of God.

Now, in closing, I want to add my witness of President Monson’s prophetic call. I have known him since he was 22 and I was 21. That’s 58 years. I have watched the hand of the Lord prepare him for this day to preside over the Church as the prophet and President. And I add my testimony, along with all of the other testimonies that have been borne through this conference, of his special calling as President of the Church, and add my testimony, along with all of the others, that Jesus is the Christ and this is His Church. We are doing His work, to which I testify in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

Zach's 2nd grade writing assignments...

I thought I would share two little stories that I found of Zach's as I went through his paperwork tonight. They are pretty cute!

Story #1

May 13, 2008
Dear Grandma, Grandpa, Joy and Brian,

Will you please take me to Frankies? We will have a blast. We'll be able to go on the go-carts. I know that we would have a radical time. I know another fun thing...Laser tag! We would have so much fun playing Laser tag. There's also arcades. We would have a lot of awesome times on those too. I hope we can go.

Zach


Story #2

The Party

I once heard...There was a monk in town. His name was Lick. He came to get his friend Stick to go to a party so they took Stick's car to the party. But as they were almost there an old lady with a big and heavy bag was crossing the street. Stick had to slam on the breaks and honk. The old lady swung her bag on the hood of the car. No damage was done to the body, but the airbreather (I think he means carburetor...?sp?....) got a hole in it when the old lady swung her bag. So they had to call their friends to help them fix the airbreather. Once they got it fixed they went to the party that was at Jump 'N' Play and they had a great time that night. The main thing learned from that evening was to watch out for old ladies carrying big bags.


Such a funny kid! His imagination is so clever sometimes! I will have to find some of the other things he has written and post them. Cute boy! 3 1/2 days of school left!!! Zach is totally excited! Anybody have any fun ideas for summer activities? Zach is excited he gets to go to Cub Scout day camp in June. I need to sign him up for swim lessons....completely forgot! Ooops!!

Cute 2 year old sayings and Cookie recipe!!

So this last week, my little Chloe brought many needed smiles to my face with some of the cute things she said. I love this age and how kids are exploring different ways to express themselves....with the exception of the whining and temper-tantrums! So, I wrote down some of her saying and thought I would share.

1. We had some toasted cheese sandwiches the other night for dinner (yes, it was one of those no-cook nights!). I brought Chloe's over to her and told her that I needed to blow it because it was too hot for her to eat. She then said, "Blow samich up!"

2. We were driving in the car one evening and the moon was already showing in the sky, even though the sun hadn't set yet. She had been looking at the moon and talking about it. Then she said excitedly, "Moon driving!" (I think she thought that because it was moving as we were driving.)

3. I was taking Zach to school one morning because he missed the bus. On the way to school, Chloe was looking out the front window and out of no where said, "Jesus over there!! Jesus over there on the grass!!"

4. We had squash for dinner the other night. She kept saying, "No like sqaaaaaash!" Then as she ate it, she realized it wasn't so bad. (Butternut squash is Zach's favorite veggie!)

5. Today as she was getting ready to eat her lunch, Baxter was waiting patiently for his portion to be dropped on the floor. I asked her not to feed Baxter. She looked at him and said to me, "Baxter annoyin' me!"

Super cute girl!!! Now I want to remember Zach's cute 2 year old sayings and write them down. I will see what I come up with.....

Here is the Chocolate Chip cookie recipe that the kids and I made last week for anyone interested... (it makes a lot, so you might want to cut the recipe in half)

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 C. shortening

3 C. flour

1 1/2 C. white sugar

1 1/2 C. brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 - 2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 2 tsp. of HOT water

Mix.

Add 4 C. oatmeal (regular oats, not quick oats) and 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-11 min. (May not take that long to cook depending where you live.)

Eat and enjoy with a big glass of milk!!

yummmm....cookies....

The kids and I decided to have a cookie baking night. We decided to make my mom's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies....famous in the Clay house. Zach loves them, but doesn't get them that often.....mainly because my hips don't really need them! Mean mom, I know. I had my apron on, so they wanted to wear one too. I thought they looked cute in their little aprons sitting on the counter.

You may be wondering what the big white thing is. Everytime I have people over at my house when I pull this thing out, they always wonder what it is! It is my Bosch mixer!! Yes, it is ancient - and for a very good reason! It was my Grandma Clay's mixer that I inherited and I love it! I works wonderful! Mom, any idea how old it is?

Finished product!!! Looks yummy, huh! The kids sure enjoyed them and we had a fun time in the kitchen together!

Congratulations, Zach!

Today was a very special day for Zach and our family. Today Zach was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is an exciting occasion and we are very grateful that Zach made the decision to be baptized. We are proud of the example he sets for us and those around him. He is an absolutely wonderful boy and is working hard to make good choices.

This is a picture of family and friends (not quite all of them) that came to witness the big day. My parents and youngest brother and sister drove from North Carolina, and Chris's parents and youngest brother flew out from Colorado to support Zach. We greatly appreciate their sacrifices to come all the way out here. The others in the photo are our neighbors, the Jorgenson's and Stinson's. Chloe is missing from the picture....uh, yeah....Chris and I just kind of spaced it that we have another child running around that maybe should be in the picture. Ooops! =) Anyway, she was also there!!!

We are proud of you, Zach and love you SO much!!!!

Zach says, "One FUNKY lookin' mama!!"

So tonight for mutual we did an 80's Milli Vanilli night!! The youth all had a blast lip syncing to some "old music" - all though, not that old to me! So, here is my little get-up that I pulled together in 10 minutes (thanks, TJ)! Yes, I did the whole scrunchy at the waste of my shirt, borrowed some of Chloe's jewelry, tight-rolled my jeans (so unattractive!! - I can't believe we used to do that!), and had the big hair goin' on - oh, and even the shirt off the shoulder.....well, sort of! Chris planned this event with some of the boys and they did a great job! It was an awesome activity to end Chris's calling as Young Men President! PS - Zach didn't want me to post this picture because he is embarrassed of his mom! Poor Zach!

My Gardening Helper

I have been doing A LOT of gardening lately! I love it and have a lot of fun doing it. Chloe has been my sidekick and does a great job at stepping on the flowers I just planted!!! No, really she has only stepped on a couple. Most of the time she walks around them pretty well. She loves to ride around in the wheelbarrow too! Maybe she will have a green-thumb when she is older! I will try to post pictures soon of everything I have been working on!

Sending many thoughts and prayers

We pray that the McClellan family is comforted this day and throughout the future as they go through this trial. We love you guys and are mourning with you.
http://jordanmcclellan.blogspot.com/2008/03/our-sad-news.html

http://jordanmcclellan.blogspot.com/2008/04/our-date-to-meet-spencer.html

Jordan is my friend from high school. We hung out all the time, and then were roommates our first year of college. We got married 2 weeks apart and had our first baby close together. She lost her second child, as did I. Now she and her husband are going through it again with baby #5. I am strengthened by her courage and testimony and determination to accept Heavenly Father's plan for her and her family. Jordan is a wonderful example to me!

Great to be EIGHT!!!

I can not believe I have an eight year old!!! Wow - the fun times sure do fly by! Zach celebrated his 8th birthday on Thursday, May 1st. We had a good time!

Connor, Daniel, Nicholas and Zach

Then today (Saturday) he had his "friend party." He decided he wanted to go to Jump 'N' Play. There are a bunch of those inflatable bounce/slide things. They had lots of fun jumping, going down slides and playing on the arcades. We then came back to the house for pizza and cake.

Zach has been such a fun kid these past 8 years! He is growing so fast and is turning into such a good kid. He is quite funny and loves to tease....hmm, don't know where he learned that from! =) He is still quite a sensitive and loving boy and loves to just spend time with his family. He is still a "Daddy's boy" - has been since he was a few months old. He can't wait until he is big enough to start his career as a UPS driver or a bus driver. Yes - his life still revolves around anything with wheels! The bigger, the better! Some days he says he will be a semi-truck driver, some days it is the above, and some days who knows! He still has a while to iron that out!

We are so grateful that we have Zach in our family! He has taught us many lessons, tried our patience more times than we can count, and loved us unconditionally when we mess up. He is such a good brother and cares so much about his sisters. He will be getting baptized on May 10th at 4:00pm, which he is extremely excited about! Anyone and everyone is invited!

We love you, Zach and can't wait to watch you grow into an amazing young man! We know you have great things ahead of you and want you to know that you are loved by many - especially your parents!!!

What will Zach be?....

While in MO, we went to a fun exhibit that was called, What do I want to Be? It had all kinds of fun jobs that the kids could act out.
Scientist

Surfer
Barber

Race car driver
Teacher
President of the United States (with a funny hat on)
Bull Rider

Beautiful hair and Sparkly blue eyes