Last week of Wrestling

This weekend was the last tournament for wrestling, for now. Bryce wants them to continue on this spring in freestyle wrestling. They both did really well and had a great season. This last tourney was at Weber High. Brayden had 3 good matches and took 1st place. He actually took 1st at every tournament this season. Way to go Brayden!! Tyler had some tough matches also. He tied for 1st place. Below are some more video clips of some of their matches.

Horse Riding at Aunt Suzanne and Uncle Gregg's

The day after Thanksgiving, Bryce's whole family went up to his aunt and uncles in Richmond. Richmond is north of Logan. We had a great time. Jennette took some yummy soups to make for the herd and Aunt Suzanne made some breadsticks that were unbelieveable. We all enjoyed the lunch. After lunch Uncle Gregg and his son Richard saddled up five of their horses for the kids and everyone to ride. The kids were excited, me not so much. I have only ridden a horse once in my life, and it wasn't the best experience. But Brandi, that is Jim's wife, made me get on and take a ride. It turned out alright, but Uncle Gregg led me the whole time. Call me chicken, but at least I got on it.

The kids had a good time riding also. It was Tyler's first time riding a horse and he loved it. Brayden and Ellie wanted nothing to do with it. They just played on the hay stacks with the two kittens. After the horse riding, the kids had a BB gun contest with Uncle Gregg's "BB gun on steroids" as he calls it. You should see this thing. You should see his gun collection. WOW!! Anyways it turned out that out of about 9 people Tyler ended up facing off with Uncle Gregg who beat him by one shot. The kids had a great time. Thanks again Aunt Suzanne and Uncle Gregg!!



Jim and Tom

Bryce and Matt

Bonnie and Brandi

Jennette's boys lookin' good!



Sweet Ellie Girl


Go Brandi Go!!

Ian (a bit nervous)

Seth (calm and relaxed)

Jessie and Brady

Tyler and Richard

Thanksgiving Weekend

I know Thanksgiving was last weekend, but I haven't had time to do a post yet. We stayed home and Bryce's mom and dad and brother Matt came from Boise. Jennette and I fixed dinner and it turned out pretty well. I was glad to have her there to help because I don't think I could fix Thanksgiving dinner by myself. I did however, for the first time, make homemade pies. I did an apple, pumpkin, and banana cream. They turned out really well. But we just didn't have enough people to eat them so the majority went to waste. Oh well!!

Thanksgiving night, Bryce's other two brothers and their families came to do gingerbread houses. Jennette and I had made the gingerbread the night before. That is a lot of work! We made enough for each family; Jim's, Tom's, and ours to make one. Jennette made the royal frosting and had bought a ton of candy for the kids to use. Well, some of the gingerbread had not set up enough or hardened enough and so ours and Jim's families fell apart. You will notice in the pictures we had the hair dryer out trying to get it to work. Jennette felt bad and on Saturday before she left to go back to Boise she made 2 more batches of gingerbread. So we were able to complete our gingerbread as a family last Sunday. The kids enjoyed doing it, but I'm not sure I will make it from scratch again. I will probably buy the $10 kit next year. Sorry Jennette!!

YEA!! It worked

Ellie enjoyed eating the candy

Brady creating his masterpiece! His turned out great.

Hairdryer Remedy!

FUN, FUN, FUN!!

More Wrestling

The boys have been enjoying the wrestling season this year. We have been to 4 tournaments and they have both done really well. This last tournament was at Weber High which is where Bryce and I went to school. So it brought back some old memories. This tournament is always pretty tough. Brayden wrestled on Friday night and did great. He had 3 matches and lost 1. There was actually a 3 way tie for 1st place because the other kids all lost 1 match too.

Tyler wrestled Saturday morning and had 3 matches also. The first 2 matches he pinned his opponent in the first minute/round. But his last match was pretty tough. It was a 3rd grader from his school that wrestles up because he is so good. Ty didn't get pinned and he put up a good fight, but he lost. There were a few tears too. He placed 2nd overall.

Enjoy the videos from the tournament. Tyler's video is his 2nd match where he cradles his opponent to win. Brayden's video is his last match of the night.

Wrestling

Tyler started wrestling a couple of weeks ago and he had his first meet a couple Saturdays ago at Logan High. He had 3 matches and did really well. He practices at Fremont High on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Brayden definitely likes to wrestle his brother but was a bit too shy to do it in public. Although he finally decided he wanted to try it. So Bryce took him to get wrestling shoes and he went to the wrestling meet last Saturday at Clearfield and did really well. Bryce enjoys coaching his boys. He was a great wrestler back in his day! I was able to post part of one of Brayden's matches below. Tyler's matches were too long to download. I will try to get one of Ty's next matches on the blog next week.

Happy Halloween!

The kids had a great time trick-or-treating last night. Brayden and Ellie went with Bryce while I passed out candy at the house. Tyler went with his friend Parker around the neighborhood. They didn't even have parent chaperone's. He is getting too old! Brayden went as Incredible Hulk. Tyler was a haunted skeleton. Ellie was a spider. At first she wasn't sure about getting on her costume, but with some candy as a bribe she was more than happy to get ready. She definitely has a sweet tooth. The weather was great. We have had 70 degree weather all week.

Like I said I was the one passing out candy at home. There weren't a lot of trick-or-treaters this year. We still had candy left over. Oh and thanks to Grandma Clark's fun Halloween book she gave me, I was festive enough to make pumpkin stew. It is a stew with meat, potatoes, carrots, and onions. But the fun part is you bake it in a pumpkin. I was a little worried it would taste like pumpkin, but it was really good. The kids even had seconds. Thanks, Grandma!!


So cute!


Already diving in, she hasn't even went trick-or-
treating yet.


Ellie the spider.


SCARY!!

Fun Family Night

Well, last night after our Family Night lesson, we were able to carve pumpkins. The boys look forward to this each year. I think Bryce does too. He is really good at it. He helps the boys clean the seeds out and then carve cool things on the pumpkins. Ellie got involved this year also. She enjoyed digging into the pumpkins and pulling out the guts too. She even enjoyed tasting it. Yuck!! We all had a great time and the boys were very proud of their finished products.

Canning fool!!

Well, this summer we were able to grow a garden and we had tons of tomatoes and peppers. We were also able to grow some beans. So I figured I needed to use this abundance of produce and do some canning. I have Jennette's pressure cooker so I had everything I needed. It was nice to be able to spend my days doing something useful for my family that we can enjoy all year.

I did about 3 batches of salsa- 50 quarts. I also did 40 quarts of stewed tomatoes, 40 quarts of spaghetti sauce, 12 pints of enchilada sauce and 12 pints of pizza sauce. I was able to bottle 20 pints of green beans and about 20 quarts of peaches. I actually enjoyed doing it. It made me proud of myself for accomplishing it. I always remembered my mom bottling when I grew up and we always enjoyed the fruits of her labors, so now my family can enjoy the fruits of mine.

Weekend in Jackson

Bryce and I had the opportunity to get away without the kids to Jackson Hole last weekend. I had never been to Jackson and we had wanted to get away together so we decided that would be the perfect place. It was our fall break at school so I had Thursday and Friday off. We left Thursday afternoon and returned on Saturday. Bryce's brother Jim and his wife Brandi were nice enough to watch our kids for us. The drive to Jackson is beautiful. It took us about 4 hours, but we enjoyed it. You go through Logan Canyon to Bear Lake and then drive along the Snake River and through a canyon until you reach Jackson. With the fall leaves and the pine trees it made for a beautiful drive.

We had a very relaxing time in Jackson. There is not a lot to do in the "off season" in Jackson, but we were able to shop, go to nice restaurants, catch a movie, and see some wildlife and the Grand Tetons. I even got a massage. It was just nice to be able to spend some quality time with Bryce. We always seem to miss our kids while we are away, but we still enjoy our time together.

The weather was good but cold. The highs in the 50's and the lows in the 20's. However, the place we stayed had a heated pool, jacuzzi, and sauna all outdoors. We were able to enjoy them on Saturday morning after breakfast. A year ago, we spent 10 days in Hawaii. Jackson was no paradise like Hawaii, but overall we had a great weekend together.



The Grand Tetons- what a sight!!

We call this our moon shot of 2 antelope


The cabin we stayed in- very nice!!

The Snake River on our drive home

He's Back!!

Well, Bryce has returned from Alaska. Finally!! 10 days was a little too long for all of us, including Bryce. He had a good time overall, but he did miss his family a lot. The weather wasn't too great while he was there. He said it rained all but one day. The fishing wasn't too great either. He caught a total of 3 salmon. Now I know that sounds bad, but they were good size and we should be able to enjoy them for a while.

Bryce actually got sick the last couple of days. He wasn't able to eat much and he said he slept a lot. He was glad to get home to his own bed and a meal cooked by me, not by his roomies. They cooked most of their meals while they were there and there were some guys he said definitely didn't know how to cook.
He told us a funny story about going to church in Alaska. They went last Sunday to a small branch. There were 27 people there and 7 of them were from Bryce's group. During the sacrament a black bear ran across the parking lot of the church and someone yelled "bear". Bryce figured everyone would swarm to the window to see and they would have to start the sacrament over again. But actually only 2 people went to the window, a 4-year old and the branch president!!

We are all really glad to have him home. The kids were really excited to see him. Ellie took a while to warm up when he got home, but she didn't want him to leave for work this morning. She loves her daddy!!

He was able to take only a few pictures. He had to take the old digital camera instead of his really nice Canon because the battery was at work when he left on the trip. So the pictures aren't all that great. Also, he got the camera wet while he was fishing one day and it had to dry out for a few days.

Gorgeous scenery!!

They saw this bear at the city dump.

Bryce and his salmon!!

What's new

Well, it has been about 6 days since Bryce left for Alaska. Everything is going remarkably well here at home, but I don't think I could be a single mom forever. For those of you who didn't know Bryce was going to Alaska, here is how it all happened. Our neighbor, Cory, called Bryce about 2 weeks ago and told him he had an opportunity of a lifetime. Cory's dad was supposed to go to Alaska but had to back out at the last minute, so Cory invited Bryce to go in his place. The trip had been planned for about a year and so everything was paid for. All they needed to do was transfer the plane ticket to Bryce's name for $75. Well, of course, Bryce couldn't pass it up so he told Cory yes and started to arrange things so he could be gone for 10 days.

It stressed both of us out. Bryce because he was trying to arrange to be gone for that long from his job, family, and church calling. He even got out of speaking in church this Sunday, but I don't think he was happy about that. I would be!! I was stressed out thinking about him being gone for that long and me having to take care of the home front, ie running kids to baseball, soccer, etc. I have to admit overall it has not been bad.

Oh ya, for those that didn't know, about 2 days before Bryce got the call from Cory he had signed Tyler up to play fall baseball with a No. Ogden team. I wasn't very happy about that because it meant 2 practices a week and 2 games on Saturdays. And Bryce was leaving. But with the help of Tyler's coaches they have helped get him to the games so that I can take Brayden to his soccer game, also on Saturdays.

We have heard from Bryce a few times since he left. He said that it has been rainy and cloudy in Alaska, making it hard to see all the beautiful scenery. The fishing hasn't been too great either. On Monday, they went deep sea fishing for halibut and out of the 6 people on his boat, all but 2 got sea sick. Bryce was unfortunately one of the guys puking over the side of the boat. And they didn't catch one halibut. Bummer!! Bryce said that Tuesday they were chartering a plane to a lake to go salmon fishing. I didn't hear from him last night, but hopefully they had better luck.

I have luckily not had to work much this week. I do work tomorrow and Friday but we are on the downward slide for Bryce to get home. The kids have done well, but we are all starting to miss Bryce. I don't think Ellie even realizes her daddy hasn't been around, but I am sure she will be smiling when he gets home. Ellie has been really great lately. She is starting to entertain herself with her dolls, strollers, and other toys. She is so fun to have around.

Well that is what's new with the Clark Clan. I am sure when Bryce gets back there will be more to tell about Alaska and hopefully some great pictures to show.

Life has been busy!

I finally have a few minutes to sit down and do a post. Last week was the first week of school. The boys love their new teachers and seem to be doing well. We are getting back into the routine of homework each night, which hasn't been too bad. Brayden did have a case of the hives last week. We were not sure what caused them but they drove him nuts for a few days. We don't know if the stress and excitement of starting school was the culprit or if it was his new school clothes that made his skin sensitive. But they are gone and we are all glad.

Last week I went to get my hair cut, yep I chopped it. I seem to always want to do something drastic at the end of summer. Anyways, I took Ellie with me and Rachel my hair dresser told me how cute she would look with an A-line bob. So I did it. I let her chop off her hair. It was getting pretty long too. I think Bryce was wondering why I did it, but he likes it now. It is really cute on her, but she doesn't like to keep the cute barettes in it. Oh well, enjoy the pictures. I hope they show up okay. I took them with my phone.

I also started back to school/work last Thursday. It was nice to have the first few days of school off to be with the kids. My class seems to be good. A few squirrels, but life would be boring without em, right? Anyways, I go back to work again tomorrow. I feel a cold coming on too, it must be those germy 6th graders. Hopefully, it goes away soon.

Well, I guess I better go. Ellie just woke up from her nap and is calling my name. See ya!

1st day of school

Today was Tyler and Brayden's first day back to school. Summer is officially over. The boys were both very excited. Tyler woke up before me. He was dressed and ready to go by 7:00. He woke up Brayden and he got right up and got dressed. I wonder how long that will last.
I didn't have to go to work today. It was fun to be able to walk the kids to the bus and be home when they got home. I don't have to teach until Thursday. YEA!!
Well, when the boys returned home from school, they both told me about their days. They both had fun. Brayden came home and told me he loved it. It is so nice to have kids that enjoy school. Hopefully it lasts.



We are on our way to the bus stop.

They didn't enjoy mom taking pictures.


Ellie at the bus stop.

There they go!!

Ty- a bit camera shy!

Fun Weekend in Boise

We left for Boise on Thursday afternoon and got to grandma and grandpa's house around 7:30. The ride there wasn't so great. Ellie only slept about 45 minutes out of the total 4 hours. But we made it! Grandma made us all spaghetti for dinner. My boys were in hog heaven. Spaghetti is their favorite!

The next morning Grandma had to go to work and Grandpa was actually still out of town working so Bryce had a great idea. We decided to help out grandma and grandpa by doing some yard work for them and staining their deck. Bryce went to Home Depot to get the stain and the sanding machine for the deck while I made sure the kids were fed. Then we started sweeping off the deck to get ready for sanding. Brayden wasn't that enthused about working while on vacation, but he did help out.

When Bryce got back he was able to sand the whole deck while the boys and I swept the leaves off the basketball court in grandma's back yard. Then I used the power washer to spray off the court. The boys helped their dad with the staining next. It definitely wasn't a professional job but it got done. The boys had a good time helping out their dad and doing service for their grandparents.

We then got some lunch and did a few chores in the house for grandma like vacuuming and dishes, and then we went back outside and worked on trimming and mowing the front lawn. It turned out really nice. Then we just had to wait for grandma to get home from work and show her our surprise. She finally got home around 5:00. She loved the deck and all the hard work we did for her and grandpa. Grandpa didn't get home until about 10:00 that night, but the boys were able to show him our surprise and he loved it too.

On Saturday we took the kids to a place called "Boondocks" where we did mini golfing, go karts, batting cages, and bumper water boats. The kids had fun and Ellie was a sport in her stroller most of the time. Grandpa and Grandma got us all slushies and dippin' dots to cool us off on that hot day. Saturday night we grilled chicken and ate out on the deck. It was really nice. The chicken was great too.

On Sunday morning around 10 we packed up the car and headed to the park to feed the geese and ducks before we traveled back to Ogden. We had a great time. There were a ton of geese and ducks and they were all hungry. We went through a whole loaf of bread in about 10 minutes. After feeding the ducks we decided to go see grandma's new school that was just built. She took us on a tour and gave us some treats for the ride home.

Overall, we had a wonderful time in Boise. It had been about a year since we were up there last. Sorry, grandma and grandpa! We love you and thanks for a awesome weekend. Hopefully the slide show of our weekend works below. Cross your fingers.

Summer is flying by!

Well it is August and summer is almost over, for me at least. I go back to work next Wednesday. The only reason I am not totally depressed about it is that I am going back part-time again. YEA!! Well the end of July was a busy month for us. We had baseball, family reunions, and my parents and sister were in town.
Tyler had his last baseball tourney of the season in Heber City around July 24th. His team didn't end up winning the championship, but Tyler had an awesome tournament. He hit several doubles, and a triple. We were so proud of him. Overall, it was a great baseball season, but to tell you the truth I am glad it is over. Maybe now we can have more quality family time together instead of Ty having to go to 2 or more practices a week. I know Bryce feels differently, but it is nice to have him back at night also.
As I said we have had lots of family reunions lately also. The same weekend as the ball tournament the Garfields had a reunion in Provo. That is one of the reasons that mom and dad were in town. Pam and Ryan and their 3 girls came also. We all stayed at the Provo Marriott and participated in some of the Garfield reunion activities. We had a great time.
Then on Sat. July 26, there was a Neilson family reunion up in Huntsville. Mom and her sister Ann planned it and took care of all the preparations. It was a great success. And it was on mom's birthday. Happy Birthday!! We got a cake for everyone to enjoy and everyone sang happy birthday to mom. It was a great but busy weekend!!
Mom and Pam and Ryan and the girls stayed at our house for almost a week. It was so great to have them. We did a lot of fun things with the kids. We took them to Toads. That is a fun place for the kids to do arcade games, and laser tag. It is also a great place to spend a lot of money!! We also went to Fat Cats in downtown Ogden and did miniature glow golf and bowling. It was fun for Tyler, Brayden, and Ellie to spend some time with their cousins Brittany, Kali, and Sadi. We also went to a splash park in South Ogden and took a picnic. They had fun there. Ellie wasn't so sure about the water and fountains, but overall everyone enjoyed themselves. My cousin Shannon came also with her two kids, Wyatt and Brenna.
Well as you can see we have been busy, but it has been a great summer for us. We are actually leaving to go to Boise for the weekend to see Bryce's parents. One more last fun filled weekend before it is back to work. I hope you all enjoy the pictures of our last few weeks below. Sorry ,they aren't in any particular order.