The Clark 5

1 Month

2012-02-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe our little man is one month old already. I was only going to take 6 weeks off of work, but am so thankful I am taking 8 weeks. I can't wait to spend more time with this sweet boy. A little about Levi at one month:

- You are a BIG boy! You weighed 12 lbs 2 1/2 oz. at your appointment on Monday (and that was 4 days before you turned a month old)

- You love to eat! You are eating 4 - 5 oz. every 3 hours. Mommy can't keep up with all your feeding demands!

- You do not like going in your car seat, but once the car starts moving you fall asleep!

- You only wore newborn clothes for 4 days and used newborn diapers for 6 days. Your 3 month clothes are now starting to get a little tight and we are almost in size 2 diapers.

- You only like sleeping if you are inclined so we bought you a Fisher Price Play and Sleep and you have done great in it!

- You do not like to swing!

- You hate to have your diaper changed (and your clothes changed)!

- You love bath time!

- You have blonde hair (but I think it may be getting darker like your dads) and pretty blue eyes!

- You got sick this last week and have had to be on breathing treatments. You do not like them and scream the whole time. It breaks your mommy's heart!

- You love when mommy sings to you. Your favorite song is "You are my Sunshine."

- You are loved by so many people! I can't imagine our family without our sweet Levi!

Sweet Levi

2012-01-10T12:35:00.001-08:00

A new computer that actually works at home = time to get back to blogging! It's hard to believe it has been 4 months since I blogged last and our lives have changed so much since then. Last Tuesday, January 3rd we welcomed Levi Fuller Clark to our family.

Levi Fuller Clark

January 3, 2012

8:19 am

8 lbs 11 oz

We are completely in love with this sweet boy (as are his brother and sisters). He is such a laid back little man that loves to eat! At his doctor appointment yesterday (to check his jaundice) he already weighed more that his birth weight which the doctor said was "unprecedented." This little guy has a big future ahead of him and we are so excited to be a part of it!

Until Later,

Park Play

2011-09-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed the beautiful weather we have had this week by spending Friday night at the park. The kids had the best time. Here are some pictures from our latest adventure.

We have really enjoyed the cooler weather, but we would love some rain! I don't think we have ever needed it more. Praying for rain and cooler weather!

Until later,

The Big 6

2011-08-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Our oldest child

easy going

all boy

full of energy

Lover of Sponge Bob

sensitive

great heart

handsome boy

adorable dimples

silly boy

shy around strangers

cowboy

Lover of dogs

our little swimmer

big brother

sweet and gentle

Our lovable little boy

made our dreams come true

a gift from God

a blessing to us all

Happy 6th birthday sweet boy!

We love you!

Until later,

Melissa

Scissor Disaster

2011-07-29T18:42:00.001-07:00

Katelyn

Yes, we had our first scissor accident today! Katelyn has always twirled her hair and when she does she sometimes gets knots in it (or her finger stuck). Today while twirling her hair she got a knot in it and instead of asking mom for help, she tried to help herself! I was in complete shock! Luckily her hair was pulled back in a half pony tail and she cut behind it. She is just going to have to wear her hair down for the next few months!

Until later,

Big Sisters!

2011-07-28T17:12:00.001-07:00

Jason and I were shocked to find out that we were expecting baby number in 4 in January! We found out in May and tried to keep it low key and private from the kids until we knew that everything was okay. However, after being very sick for a week and home with the kids all summer, they were beginning to worry about me (especially Isaiah). Here is the beginning of the conversation we had with the kids:

Jason - "Do you guys want a new brother or sister?"

Isaiah - "Only if they are brown."

Addison - "Only if it is twins."

Katelyn - "No, I am your baby."

I think the kids were as shocked as Jason and I were to find out! However, they have become so excited about their new brother or sister. Jason and I have started to buy baby supplies so that once school starts I won't have as much to worry about.We are keeping the gender of this little one a surprise until his/her birthday, so we are buying everything gender neutral. It is actually very hard to find a lot of gender neutral things (especially clothes). We recently bought a car seat and stroller and the girls have been testing it out with their baby dolls. It is so cute! Here is a picture of what they were doing today.

I sure do love these girls! I can't wait to see them with their new brother or sister!

Until later,
Melissa

Isaiah's 6th Birthday - Part I

2011-07-24T15:06:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Isaiah's 6th birthday with the Clark side of the family on Saturday night. It is hard to believe that he is almost 6. It's even harder for me to believe that he's been home for 5 1/2 years!

Isaiah loves SpongeBob, so we decided to do a SpongeBob cake. It turned out great and was delicious.
Isaiah with his cake! I love this picture of him. His smile just melts my heart.

Isaiah blowing out his candles!
Addison loves birthdays! It doesn't matter that it isn't her birthday! She just loves the birthday atmosphere.
Katelyn enjoying some birthday cake!

Isaiah with some of his presents!

Isaiah opening his present from Mom & Dad! The 2-sided Christmas paper was the only wrapping paper I had!

The girls on Isaiah's surfboard!
In two weeks we head to Great Wolf Lodge with my side of the family to celebrate his birthday. Stay tuned for more pictures of our sweet 6 year old!

Until later,
Melissa

Bedtime Conversations

2011-07-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

The bedtime conversation that Jason heard between Addison and Isaiah tonight was HILARIOUS!

Addison: Isaiah, will you marry me?

Isaiah: Addison, I can't marry you, you are my sister. Besides, I'm going to marry someone brown.

I love that my kids are each others best friends! It brings a smile to my face.

Sea Life Aquarium

2011-07-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

The kids and I visited the new Sea Life Aquarium in Grapevine with my cousins on Thursday. We had such a great time! The pictures really aren't that great, sorry! The light was so different in the aquarium and you are not supposed to use a flash and since I'm such an amateur photographer, the quality is really lacking!

The aquarium had a lot of different areas where the kids put their heads through a "bubble" up into the aquarium and see the fish swimming by. This was definitely one of the kids favorite things!

They also had a walk through fish/shark tunnel. It was really neat. The kids were at first a little nervous about walking through it, mainly because the floor was made of glass.

The kids posing at one of the little stop sitting areas. Addison wants to be a model, so she poses in every picture!

Isaiah with my cousin Kasey! We are so proud of everything he has accomplished. He is in the Navy and heading to Hawaii for three years very soon. It was so nice to spend some time with him! I wish you could see this picture better, but Isaiah and Kasey have almost the same skin color! Isaiah just loves Kasey (as do we all)!

My other cousin, Christy! She is incredible. She is so helpful with the kids and they just adore her. I'm not sure what we would do without her. Her and Isaiah were touching some starfish in the children's area.

I promise that Sweet Kate was with us, she just doesn't like to get her picture taken. Her is one picture I was able to get of her!

The kids touching some starfish and other sea creatures.

I sure love these three kids!

Until later,

Melissa

Summer Fun

2011-06-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

There are many things I love about being a teacher, but the best thing has got to be being able to spend time with your kids in the summer. I treasure my time with them and love doing a bunch of different activities that we don't normally get to do.

One of our favorite things to do this summer is go to the community pool and swim. Here are a few pictures from our recent swimming adventure.

Until later (which hopefully will be much sooner than later),

Melissa

My Baby

2011-03-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby girl

cuddle bug

full of energy

fearless

future farmer

lover of peanut butter & jelly

hilarious personality

huge heart

Papaw's girl

book reader

animal lover

supportive sister

huge hugger

excited about life

class clown

non dress wearer

our sweet little girl

absolute miracle

gift from God

a blessing to all

Happy Birthday Sweet Kate!

We love you!

Sweet Katelyn was an absolute surprise! It was my first week back at school. My team and I (who I absolutely adore) were sitting in staff development and I started feeling sick. I thought it was food poisoning and started drinking anti-nausea medicine. After two days of this, my team started teasing me about being pregnant. I of course thought they were nuts. I mean Addison was only 5 months old (and I was on birth control). How on earth could I be pregnant? They finally convinced me to take a pregnancy test. On my way home from staff development, I picked one up to take at home. I remember taking the test and just crying. How could we possibly take care of three kids under three, much less afford them! I ended up being 8 weeks along. I certainly think God had a plan. Isaiah came home at 8 1/2 months old, three months after he came home I was pregnant with Addison, three months after Addison was born I was pregnant with Katelyn. God certainly had a plan for us! I absolutely adore our youngest child. She is a spitfire, a tough little girl (like her mama) and looks like a Fuller (my maiden name). She is our sweet blessing that I couldn't imagine our family without. We sure love you baby girl! Happy 3rd Birthday!

The Big Four

2011-03-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

Our middle child

sweet girl

pink lover

adventure seeker

girly girl

pedicure princess

beautiful curl wearer

love bug

wonderful cleaner

late sleeper

book reader

doll lover

blue eyed beauty

dress wearing

loving sister

friend to all

unexpected miracle

gift from God

blessing to our lives

our sweet daughter

Happy Birthday Sweet Princess!

I'm not sure many know the story of how we found out we were expecting sweet Addison. I was exhausted, sick and just miserable for about 2 weeks. I was upset that I was gaining weight, threw a fit about clothes not fitting, but never thought I was actually pregnant. I mean, why would I? Jason and I were told that we would never have biological children. We had accepted it, adopted our sweet little man and had started our family. One Sunday when I was just feeling miserable I told Jason to take Isaiah and run a few errands. I was going to stay home and rest. Jason asked if I was pregnant to which I responded, "Are you crazy?" I ended up taking a pregnancy test and it was positive. Absolute SHOCK would be an understatement!

I scheduled a doctor appointment the next morning, went in by myself because Jason couldn't get off work on such short notice, had an ultrasound and was told that the baby did not have a heartbeat and that I was miscarrying. The tears and feeling of disappointment were overwhelming. I honestly felt like I was just going through the motions the next week as I waited for the miscarriage to start. I was trying my best to be the loving mom Isaiah needed (he had only been home three months), but deep down my heart was falling apart. I was mad and I tried to justify everything in my mind. God wouldn't give us anything we couldn't handle, but why was this happening to us. We prayed every night for the sweet little baby that we thought we were losing and for the strength to accept what had happened so that we could move on. I had finally become a mother, something that I had wanted after struggling with infertility for 2 years. So why was this happening now?

The next week as I headed into the appointment with Jason we prepared ourselves for the worst. This time however, things were different. The doctor walked in, Jason and I, hand in hand, just watched at the ultrasound began. And then there she was! A little bean with a heartbeat. I will never forget that day.

7 1/2 months later sweet Addison Grace was born! She was a fighter, a miracle, a gift from God!

Happy Birthday sweet Addison Grace! I don't think you will ever understand how much Daddy and I love you!

Until next week,

Melissa

P.S. Next week our sweet baby turns 3! Just when we thought our family was complete, God had other plans! Another miracle, another story!

Cowgirls & the Cowboy

2011-02-25T11:49:00.000-08:00

Jason and I took pictures of the kids yesterday hoping to get just one good shot of the girls for their birthday card. The girls are having a Cowgirl birthday with a petting zoo and pony rides, so we of course took pictures in their cowgirl gear. There are not many pictures of Kate, because I just can't seem to get her to smile.

I love these sweet kids!

Until later,

Strike!

2011-02-11T17:09:00.001-08:00

After being in the house for four straight days with the kids (bad weather days!), Jason and I decided to take the kids bowling. I really wasn't sure how they would do because they are still really young (5, 3, and 2). We went to a bowling alley by the house that ended up being very child friendly. The kids had the best time! Here are some pictures from our latest adventure:

Isaiah throwing the ball down the lane. He was actually very good at it!

Isaiah loved seeing how many pins his ball hit! He would watch the ball very closely all the way down the lane.

Isaiah also loved watching everyone else bowl!

Addison had a blast waiting for the ball to come out of the ball return. I of course was paranoid about their fingers being smashed .

The girls used a ramp to help them bowl. It made bowling so much easier for them (and for Jason and I)!

Addison celebrating her great bowl!

Katelyn was absolutely hilarious when bowling. She just thought it was so much fun.

Katelyn's Victory Dance! After every bowl she would do this little dance and would spin in circles. It was hilarious!

The kids had such a great time that Isaiah asked if we could go again when he got three stickers for the week in school. This rarely happens so Jason and I of course agreed to it. I guess we'll be taking him back sooner than expected, he got a sticker every day this week! It's amazing what kids will do for something that they really love!

Until later,

We Belong in the Zoo! (Or Maybe we are the zoo!)

2011-01-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

There are many days that I truly feel that I live in a zoo. Kids are running everywhere, screaming, toys are scattered all through the house and three dogs are barking like crazy. Most the time it just makes me smile, but sometimes it really does get the best of me. One of the things that we love to do with the kids to keep them occupied is to take them to the zoo. They absolutely love animals (so much so that the girls are having a petting zoo for their birthday) and love going to the zoo.

Watching the penguins. This may have been the highlight of the trip.

Isaiah driving the jeep in the new exhibit. He is really growing up!

Of course, we couldn't go to the zoo without at least one child throwing a fit. It was Addison who I caught on camera throwing a fit today.

They had to play on every statue they came to.

My mom decided she couldn't miss out on the fun, so she joined the kids!

The gorilla, if I remember correctly she is 47 years old!

The kids loved feeding the giraffes $5.00 (my mom won't let me forget the cost) lettuce!

We had such a great time at the zoo and can't wait to go again!

Until later,

Snow!

2011-01-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

We had a cold front come through on Saturday night and it brought rain and snow all day Sunday. We were lucky that we live in the northern part of DFW because we got a lot wonderful, fluffy white snow.

The house covered in snow! It was beautiful!

Kate making a snow angel.

Addison making the perfect snowball.

Don't let the pink gloves fool you! Isaiah can make a pretty mean snowball!

Addison catching snowflakes!

This picture shows how deep the snow really was.

My handsome little boy! You can see that he lost another tooth on the bottom!

The girls with their "snowgirl" that daddy helped them build.

While we got a lot of snow, other parts of DFW did not, so no snow day for us, we are up and out of the house bright and early! I am secretly hoping this is the only snow day until next winter. As a teacher, I don't like to give up my bad weather days!

The Christmas Spirit

2010-12-10T11:12:00.001-08:00

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love everything about it. I love the decorations, the music and singing with the kids, the Church services especially the Christmas Eve children's service, watching the kids' eyes light up on Christmas day, and I love Christmas pictures with the kids. We had our wonderful photographer take Christmas pictures at the Gaylord Hotel a couple of weeks ago, and I just love how they turned out!

I can't believe how much this little boy has grown up!

We never got a real smile out of Isaiah, but I love this picture of him in his Santa tie shirt and hat.

Addison is so photogenic! We got some really great shots of her.

I absolutely love Addison's Christmas outfit. It is so cute and sassy (just like Addi)!

Sweet Kate actually smiled this time and did not cry.

Here is one of our family pictures! Every time I see this picture, I just smile. While Addison is not amused and over having pictures done, Isaiah's expression is priceless.

Merry Christmas! Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

Go TEXAS!

2010-11-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

We had the opportunity to go and see a University of Texas football game last Saturday. It was a Dad, Mom, Papaw, Isaiah trip, and we had a great time. Isaiah loved all the hoopla surrounding the game.

When we arrived in Austin we headed straight to all the tail-gating, shopping, walk 1 mile to get to the game fun. It was amazing to see all the tents with TVs in them. Yes, they were watching the game from a tent outside the stadium. I've never seen anything like it! After having some BBQ we headed to the stadium to cheer on the Longhorns. They haven't had a good season (it's a rebuilding year) and they really didn't play well in this game either, but we had a great time.

Isaiah really enjoyed getting to eat all the snacks and buying lots of souvenirs. That's what happens when your the only child who gets to go on a mini vacation with mom and dad (and of course Papaw really spoils him)!

We really had a great weekend together. It was nice to be able to spend some time with our little man. Thank you dad for helping making the trip possible, we love ya!

My Little Critters

2010-11-12T12:42:00.001-08:00

Hope you

had a

GREAT

HALLOWEEN!!!

Where the Wild Things Are

2010-11-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

Love this picture!!!

We're Back!

2010-10-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's been way too long! I will post a nice, large update about the new house later this week, but for now here are some current pictures of the kids!

Isaiah turned five a few months ago and has started kindergarten! Let's just say he is a young kindergartner and all boy! Here is a picture of him on his first day of school.

Addison has really started to grow up. She loves school and loves to do her work (I only hope this continues.)! She has finally outgrown the terrible 8 months - 3 years and is such a smart little girl.

Kate is a mess! She is two and has an incredible vocabulary. She has the wildest imagination which has recently included stories of crocodiles, Gramma out running the crocodiles, and Papaw shooting them. Got to love it!

Our Little House

2010-07-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

Jason and I bought our starter house a month after we got married 7 years ago. It is a great house and I absolutely love it. However, our family has completely outgrown it. What used to seem like a spacious 1500 feet, is way too small for us now! While I am excited about the new chapter that is about to begin, I am really sad to have to leave our "Blue Oak" house. It was our first house, our house where we grew as a couple, struggled with infertility, received the referral of our "little man", brought two little girls home from the hospital and fell more in love as the years went by. This house will always have a special place in my heart.

We are so blessed that the house sold within 2 months and we found what we think is the perfect house for our family. The house had absolutely everything we were looking for:
- 4 bedrooms (master down, 3 kids rooms up)
- game room
- open kitchen
- large backyard
- community pool

I know I will cry on July 20th, mostly happy tears, but it's time for us to close this chapter in our lives and begin a new one. I can't wait to see what our "Meadow Landing" house has in store for us!

Until later,

P.S. I have neglected the blog this month and will probably neglect it for a few more months as we settle in at our new house.

How to Eat Ice Cream (according to Katelyn)

2010-06-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Ice cream = happiness for a 2 year old

We gave the kids these little ice cream treats:

They were the perfect size for little mouths.

Katelyn decided to eat the ice cream in her own way!

She was so proud of herself.

And instead of telling her to use her spoon, I just took a picture.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

The greatest gift I ever had

Came from God; I call him Dad!

~Author Unknown

I asked the kids what they love about their dad and here are their responses. Isaiah fell asleep before I could get his answer so I'll post it tomorrow!

"I like him when he plays with me. I like him when he says, give me some pudding (it's a Daddy and Addison thing, I don't really understand it!). I love my daddy."

"I love my daddy." - That's all I could get her to say (over and over again).

I could not have asked for a better father for my children. We are so blessed to have you in our lives. Thank you for all that you do to make us feel special and loved. We love you!

And to my dad, I love you! You are such an incredible father and grandfather! Thank you for all that you have done to help mold and shape me into the person I am today. We love you!

This Past Week

2010-06-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

This past week has been crazy! On Saturday Kate sliced her foot open on the metal siding that lines the flower beds in the front yard. She had to have 4 stitches put in the bottom of her foot. It looked terrible! She was a trooper! She hardly cried when she cut her foot open, but when they gave her the numbing shot she was in so much pain that it made me cry. If you saw Kate walk the rest of the week you would think that there wasn't anything wrong with her. She is one tough cookie.

On Sunday we had Addison's dance. She did incredible. I was so proud of her! She had the best time and is still talking about it.

On Wednesday, Addison got in trouble and was so mad at her dad that she threw a huge fit. Jason told her to straighten up, to which she replied, "You made me sick." Jason asked her how he made her sick and she proceeded to throw up all over him. I was standing in the hallway laughing because it really was a sight to see!

The rest of the week was spent looking for houses, finding a house, signing a lot of documents and fixing our house the way that the new buyers want it. I have been teaching summer school and with all the house stuff I have had no break. I think that's just the way this summer is going to be!

Happy Summer!

2nd Day of Summer

2010-06-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

"On the second day of summer Addison gave to me, a long stick stuck in her shoe!"

I picked the kids up from school today and Addison said, "I have a stick in my shoe." I asked her to take her shoe off so I could check it and I was amazed at what I saw. It was a 2 inch stick stuck right through the sole of her shoe. I asked her if she had walked around like that for a while, to which she responded, "I'm pretty tough, I'll be okay."

Tough would be an understatement! I honestly can't believe she walked around with such a large stick in her shoe!

The Beginning of my Summer Song

2010-06-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

I think I'm just going to start a summer song with all the crazy things my kids do and say this summer. It's sung to the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas. The first verse goes something like this:

"On the first day of summer Isaiah gave to me, a small piece of foam stuck up his nose!"

Oh yes, it's true. Luckily the school (I'm teaching summer school) called and I was able to get it out with tweezers. When asked what it was (before I pulled it out) his response was, "I'm not real sure, I just picked it up off the floor." What can I say, he's ALL boy!

Stay tuned for what happens tomorrow! I'm sure it will be interesting!

A Little Sleep

2010-06-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

Listening to music at the park = a tired mommy and little girl

I had laid down to rest for a little while, when Kate decided to climb on my back and rest too. Before we knew it, she was out cold! Sweet little Kate slept through the whole concert. Eventually she was removed from my back into her daddy's arms where she slept the rest of the night.

Until later,

Kayaking!

2010-06-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

While we were at Liberty Fest (more about that at another time) this past weekend we had the opportunity to kayak in the little creek behind my parent's house. The kids had such a great time the first time my mom and I took them, that Daddy and Aunt Christy had to take them when they got off of work.

This was my view from the kayak. I was kayaking with Isaiah and he decided he wanted to paddle.

Then he decided that he wanted to try it by himself. That lasted for about 2 minutes!

And of course they all wanted to go under the fountain in the kayaks, so here is my drenched 2 year old!

We all had a great time and we will certainly be doing it again next year!

Until later,

I see...

2010-05-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

We spent this last weekend at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. After a couple of traumatic events (more about that at another time) we had a great time. The kids really enjoyed all of the swimming and other kids stuff they have there. At 8:00 each night they have a Magic Clock Tower show. It includes many animals, people (all which are not real) putting on an animated presentation. We were sitting watching the show when the following conversation occurred:

Addison: "Mom, I see Jesus."

Me: "You see who?"

Addison: "I see Jesus. Right there mom." as she was pointing to something around the clock area.

Me: "Addison, um..."

I then get interrupted by Addison who says, "Wait, is Jesus a girl?"

Here is what she saw:

Jason: "No honey, that's not Jesus. Jesus is a boy."

Addison: "Oh, good, I was starting to get a little confused."

Oh, the joy a 3 year old brings!

Until later,

"Aunt" Christy

2010-05-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

My cousin, Christy, celebrated her birthday today. To say that she is loved by my children would be an understatement. They ADORE her! She is never too busy to spend time with them and when I am exhausted or at my wits end, Christy is there to roll around with them, read with them and just love on them. The way she loves my children makes me love her even more. So, to capture my children's love for Christy I had them sing Happy Birthday to her.

Oh, but here is the first one we recorded! Jason and I were almost in tears as we were videotaping it!

Happy Birthday Christy! Hope you have a great one, you deserve it! We love you!

Princess Tea Party Pictures

2010-05-12T14:31:00.001-07:00

The girls' birthday party was a month ago, and the pictures have finally arrived!

It's hard to believe that my sweet little princesses are now 2 and 3! Happy Birthday girls, we love you!

The decorations were set,

The cake had arrived,

Two little girls were all ready,

For dress up,

and makeup galore!

Then came the fashion walk,

Where all the girls did a twirl!

Cake time was great,

Addison was so excited to celebrate!

A walk around downtown Grapevine came next,

To show off all their dresses and such,

What a cute looking group,

that helped us celebrate!

Here are a few of my other favorite pictures!

Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate! The girls had an incredible birthday!

Until later,

Melissa

Toothless Grin

2010-05-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

This little tooth

used to be in this sweet smile.

I can't believe he lost his first tooth. He pulled it out himself (even though it was very loose). His bottom teeth have been loose for about 2 weeks. So, I'm pretty sure the other one will be falling out very soon. He was very concerned with if the tooth fairy was a boy or a girl. I honestly didn't know how to answer that question and said, "It's just a fairy." He was very excited to put it under his pillow last night and wake up with $5.00. I'd be lying if I didn't say it breaks my heart a little. He is growing up way too fast!

Until later,

Melissa

Hope

2010-04-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

This week is National Infertility Week. There were many times when I would just lay in bed and cry thinking that I would never be called "mom." Now, all I hear all day long is "mama, mama, mama."

Our infertility journey started about a year after we were married. We had 2 IUI's done, 2 IVF's done, got pregnant with what they thought was twins after the last IVF and then miscarried within 1 week. After that last IVF and miscarriage I remember feeling like a failure. I was heartbroken and saddened. I cried for many days and prayed to God for some guidance. Jason and I spoke about adoption and our mind was made up. This is what God had in store for us, this is what was going to help make all of our dreams come true. Ten months after starting the adoption journey, Isaiah was home. My sweet, precious, little boy made me a "mom." I will never forget the feeling of arriving in the airport at home with Isaiah in my arms. It still brings tears to my eyes. Three months after Isaiah arrived home, I found out I was pregnant with Addison Grace. My beautiful, little dancer that they said I had miscarried and couldn't find a heartbeat, had danced her way into our hearts. Three months after Addison was born, I was pregnant with Kate. I was on birth control when I was pregnant with Kate and I remember sitting in the bathroom crying after taking the pregnancy test because I had no clue how we were going to be able to afford 3 children. Kate is our spunky, loving little girl, who we couldn't imagine life without. Our family is complete, our prayers answered. God is good!

For those of you struggling with infertility my hearts and prayers are with you all.

To my dear friend struggling with infertility (no name needs to me mentioned, you know who you are): You are an amazing person, a loving individual and my thoughts and prayers are with you always. I am here for you every step of the way, stay strong, have faith! Love ya!

And now a picture of my 3 miracles that call me Mom!

Until later,

Melissa

For The Love of Rolly Pollies

2010-04-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

They searched and they searched for Rolly Pollies,

and when they were found they ended up in one of their hands.

They all really enjoyed looking for them and finding them, but Addison really loved them!

She loved them so much that she had a handful.

Or a dressful.

She didn't want them to crawl away so she put them on her dress so she could watch them.

She wanted to take them to her room to keep,

but we finally convinced her that they needed an outside home.

So now our large oak tree is home to many new friends,

Who are forever thankful that they aren't spending another hour in a 3 year old's hands.

Until later,

Melissa

Gotcha Day

2010-04-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

My Sweet Isaiah -

Happy 4th "Gotcha" Day Isaiah! Four years ago today, you arrived home! I will never forget that plane ride to the US with you in my lap, just waiting to get you home and show you to everyone. I finally became a mother, a mother that got to hold her baby in her lap and not have to return him to his foster mother. Our difficult journey to become parents was over, and all our dreams had come true! Your smile is contagious and your laugh infectious! Mommy and Daddy are so blessed that God chose you to be our son. You are a blessing to this family. We love you!

Isaiah's referral picture:

There were many times I wanted to put him in a suitcase and just take him home!

I love this picture of him!

He has grown up so much!

We love you,

Mommy & Daddy

Family

2010-04-09T18:00:00.001-07:00

"A family portrait is only complete with love to fill its frame."

- Wes Fessler

The Shred Update

2010-04-05T19:33:00.001-07:00

So, out of the 12 days since I started the video, I have missed two. I missed last Thursday because I really wasn't feeling well and I had absolutely no desire to work out. I was pretty down about it when I went to bed that night, but I just couldn't find the energy to do the workout. I also missed my Easter day workout. We visited both set of grandparents and by the time we got home I was exhausted.

I have completed 10 days of the workout and I certainly can see a change. I'm not sure how much weight I've lost because we don't own a scale, but I have lost some. What I notice the most is how much flatter my stomach has gotten and how much more muscular my legs are. I have always had large thighs, I think it was all the soccer growing up, but it is nice to see some muscle back in my large thighs.

I must say that I really do enjoy the video. I alternate between Workout 1 and Workout 2 for the variety. There are some of the activities that are still really hard for me (like jumping jacks), but everything has gotten much easier.

Day 11, here I come! Can't wait to see how much my body changes after 20 more days of the video!

Until later,
Melissa

Jazz N' Blooms

2010-04-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

We attended the City of Farmers Branch Jazz N' Blooms last weekend. The city always does such a wonderful job with their events, but this one has to be one of my favorites. The weather was beautiful and the kids had a great time.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day:

The kids got to shovel dirt in wheel barrow and dump it in a flower bed. Addison really enjoyed this, we had a hard time getting her to leave this activity.

The had turned a haystack into a ladybug. It was really cute!

There was also a painted "river" that the kids pretended to ride boats through and at the end they got a treasure.

Isaiah was pretending to swim.

The petting zoo was a hit with the kids. Kate in particular, just loved the animals. She's going to be the child that brings home all the stray animals. She is a girl after her Papaw's heart!

There was a pair of ducks that really hated to be parted and one kept trying to go over and "snuggle" with the other one. Kate was very upset by this and couldn't understand why her duck would want to leave. So she put her hands around the duck's neck to keep him from moving. She was trying to be sweet, but it really doesn't look sweet. Don't worry I made sure she didn't hurt the little duck.

Eventually, Kate let the duck reunite in the lap of her older sister.

Yes, the little chick pictured below is blue!

Isaiah loved feeding the goats.

There was also this really neat life cycle of a butterfly exhibit. It started with the cateripillars.

As the caterpillar grows and sheds it skin it encloses itself in a chrysalis.

Then it becomes a beautiful butterfly.

It was very well done and as a science teacher, I loved it!

Over by the Life Cycle of a Butterfly exhibit were these cute little flowers that had ladybugs on them.

Kate was just fascinated with the ladybugs and even though I told her no (See that sad face?),

she proceeded to pick some,
and then count them.
Don't worry she only took two and I was able to get them away from her and put them back without her noticing.

The kids enjoyed eating popcorn with Papaw and Gramma.

And last, but certainly not least, Isaiah and Addison (Katelyn wanted nothing to do with it.) enjoyed meeting the Easter Bunny.

We all had such a wonderful time and can't to go again next year.

Until later,
Melissa

Day 5 - Done!

2010-03-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

I finished Day 5 of the Shred today. So far it is going well. The workout is getting easier for me and I am starting to see little changes. I've lost about 3.5 pounds, at least that's what I think. We don't have a "real" scale in the house, but we do have a Wii fit. So, I stood on the Wii fit on Sunday and had lost 5.1 one pounds since I had stood on it last. However, that was first thing in the morning and I had not stood on the Wii fit in 83 days (yes, it keeps track of that!).

Working out again feels great, but I afterwards I feel like this:

Poor little boy was so tired after a long day that he fell asleep sitting up on the couch.

Until later,

Melissa

That's My Girl!

2010-03-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

Today was Kacie's Run, a 5K or 1 mile fun run, benefiting the special education students in our district (CFBISD). I walked with a few other colleagues from school. It was a lot of fun and benefited some very special kids. You can read more about Kacie's Run here.

I took Katelyn with me this morning. Addison had dance class and I knew Isaiah wouldn't walk the whole time and there is no way I could push him in a stroller.

Here is my sweet girl before the run:

Sorry the picture is so blurry. I'm really not a good photographer.

I walked with one of my good friends, Carrie. She is such a sweet, caring person and an amazing friend.

Carrie and her husband, Shane, had a sweet baby boy last September. Lincoln is absolutely adorable. After a tough start to life he is doing really well now. You can read their story here.

Before the race started Katelyn looked around the large soccer field (the walk was at a high school stadium) and said, "Where my soccer ball?" Oh, there is hope, one child may play soccer like her mommy!

It was a great walk and something we will definitely do every year.

Oh, and I did do Day 3 of the Shred today too! I'm not sure if this soreness will ever go away!

Until later,

Melissa

Day 2

2010-03-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

I finished Day 2 of the 30 Day Shred and I am hurting! I'm not sure in all my years of competitive soccer I was ever this sore. It sure is nice to feel muscles that I really didn't think existed anymore. My kids at school got a good laugh out of how slow I was moving today.

So, what do I think of the video? I know its only been 2 days, but I love it!

What I love:

- It is only a 20 minute workout. It is hard to have time to workout with three little ones at home, so this quick workout is perfect. And after 20 minutes, I feel like I have worked out for an hour.
- I love the ab exercises. My stomach will never look the same after having 2 c-sections, but I can't wait for it to look just a little better.
- The arm exercises are really good. I have a lot of arm "flab" and I can already see a small difference!
- There is a modified version for anyone who can't quite do the "regular" version yet. It is nice to be able to start with the modified version.

What I don't necessarily love:

- Push Ups! I can't stand them. I've had 7 knee surgeries (way too much soccer growing up) and had my right knee replaced. Push ups just kill my knees. Hopefully soon I'll be strong enough that I won't have to do the modified version.

- Jumping Jacks! I have always had large breasts and jumping jacks just kill me, plus I look really funny doing them!

I honestly can't wait to workout tomorrow! Day 3, here I come!

Until later,
Melissa

30 Day Shred

2010-03-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

It's time that I get all this infertility, adoption, pregnancy weight off! The weight started getting piled on when I started infertility treatments. The hormones, shots, IUI's and IVF's certainly did nothing good for my body, but it was worth it to try and start a family.

Me: Right after our last infertility treatment

After many unsuccessful fertility treatments, we started the adoption process. As we got further along and things became more stressful I relied on food as a way to cope with all the stress. By the time Isaiah came home I weighed about 10 more pounds than I did before the adoption.

Me: With Isaiah shortly after he came home

Three months after Isaiah came home I was pregnant with Addison. I ate terrible during my pregnancy with her and gained a lot weight. I don't even remember how much because it was SO much!

Me: With Grandpa at a visit shortly after Addison was born

Three months after Addison was born, before I could even begin to really get the baby weight off, I was pregnant with Katelyn. I had not lost much of the weight I gained while pregnant with Addison and gained quite a bit more with my second pregnancy.

Me: Family picture a few months after Kate was born

I have no one to blame but myself. I did this to myself and now it is time to start working on getting all the weight off. I started the 30 Day Shred today! I actually got up at 5:30 and did it before work. Let me just say, it kicked my butt and I was sore all day long. However, it sure felt good to know that I worked out today.

To help me stay motivated I am working out with a few other bloggers. Hopefully I will see some pretty good results in 30 days!

Until later,

Melissa

Happy Birthday Katelyn

2010-03-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday Dear Katelyn

Happy Birthday to You

Katelyn - It is hard to believe that you are already two. You are such a sweet, loving, gentle little girl. We will never forget the day you were born. We thought you were just perfect:

At one, you had really turned into such a sweet little girl. You loved to be cuddled and had such a laid back personality.

Now you are two! You are a spunky, little girl that loves to talk. You are still a complete sweetheart but you certainly know how to defend yourself from your brother and sister.

We love you sweet baby girl and can't wait to see how much you grow and change this upcoming year. Happy Birthday Sweet Katelyn Danielle!

Until later,

Melissa

My Lipstick Girl

2010-03-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

My conversation with Addison went like this today:

Addison - "Hey mom, I found this lip gloss on the floor (in my car), can I put it on?"

Me - "Sure, let me help you."

I then opened the lip gloss and put a little on her lips.

Me - "Addison how was school today?"

I then tried to give her a kiss, to which she responded.

"Mom, a girl never kisses right after she puts on her lipstick. You can kiss me right here on my cheek."

I just stared at her and thought to myself, "Is this seriously my child?"

This picture is courtesy of Aunt Christy from Addison and Katelyn's birthday party.

I love you sweet Addi Grace, but Gramma and Christy sure have rubbed off on you!

Until later,
Melissa

Spring Reading

2010-03-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, when the weather was in the 70's (not snowing like yesterday!), I decided to take reading time outside. I love to read and read to the kids daily. The kids really do enjoy reading and love to sit down and "read" their books themselves.

2010-01-31T19:07:00.001-08:00

Addison started dance class a few weeks ago and she LOVES it. I was so surprised when I took her to her first class and I couldn't watch. This is a hard core dance school! When she got out of class she stated, "I was made to do this!"

So now here is my Little Dancer, she is a cutie but man does she have an attitude (or Additude as we call it at the house).

Until later,

Melissa

Zoo Visit 2010

2010-01-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Yum...Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

2010-01-20T19:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I was out of town for my Grandpa's funeral. I will post more about it at another time. But for now, a post that will bring smiles...'

I found this easy recipe for chocolate covered marshmallows. They were a hit with the kids.

The final product. I put the marshmallows on lollipop sticks, dipped them in melted chocolate and then in some rainbow sprinkles.

Kate with her marshmallow pop (it looks like she has chocolate lipstick on). Kate has the craziest Texas hair. It is big and fluffy. It makes me smile every time I see it. I'm pretty sure she'll hate it when she gets older.

Addison Grace and her marshmallow pop.

Isaiah's face shows just how much he loved the marshmallow pops.

Until later,

Melissa

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-01-10T17:29:00.001-08:00

Today is my mom's birthday. My mom is amazing Christian, incredible mother and a loving grandmother. My kids absolutely adore her.

Happy Birthday Mom! I hope you had a great day. We love you more than you will ever know.

Grandpa

2010-01-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

My grandfather passed away on Friday. He was a good man who was loved by many. Shortly after Addison was born we went up to North Carolina to visit him. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of him.

Grandpa with Isaiah

Grandpa with Addison

One thing that I remember about Grandpa is that he made incredible things out of wood. One thing that he made was a duck named Elmer. I love the pictures of Isaiah and Addison sitting on Elmer.

It hurts me that Kate never got to meet her Great Grandpa, but I know he is watching her from above.

I found out about Grandpa's death after school on Friday. I did well with the news until I got in my car. In my heart I know that Grandpa is in a better place. He is no longer suffering, his memory is no longer faded. In the car as I drove home and looked up at the night sky I broke into tears. While we all knew that he was not going to live much longer, we are still very saddened by his death. I think what also hurts is that I have no grandparents left.

My dad, mom, brother, cousin (Christy), Aunt Mary and I are all driving up to NC for the funeral. It is going to be so hard to leave my kids for 5 days but this is something that I need to do. I need to say goodbye to my grandpa.

We love you Grandpa and miss you!

The Problem with Balloons

2010-01-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

The problem with balloons is that they often escape little hands and can not be retrieved. This purple balloon escaped Addison's hand and floated to freedom at the top of the living room ceiling.

Of course this was a terrible tragedy to the kids. So, Isaiah started problem solving. He started with such a positive attitude that only a 4 year old could have. "Don't worry Addison. I can get your balloon for you. I just know I can reach it. Let me just stand right up here on the table." (I know I shouldn't let him stand on the table but I really wanted to see how he was going to solve this problem.)

After about 2 seconds he realized he couldn't reach it and his little brain started thinking of how to solve this ever so serious problem. And yes, Addison has another balloon in her hand, but "purple balloons are for princesses, not blue ones."

His solution, "Addison, I'll stand on the table and then you stand on my head. I think we can reach it if you do that." (Don't worry we stopped Addison before she stood on Isaiah's head!)

After that idea we decided it was best that Jason retrieve the balloon for them (their mother is short!).

As a teacher I am so proud of his problem solving skills!

Until later,

Melissa

Happy Birthday

2010-01-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!
You are an incredible husband, loving father and wonderful man! We love you!

Christmas Joy

2009-12-31T12:08:00.001-08:00

Christmas has come and gone but the memories from Christmas 2009 will last forever!

The day started by looking at all the gifts Santa had brought them.

I love this picture of Isaiah looking in the living room to see if Santa had come.

We then headed to my Aunt Mary's house for Christmas lunch. However, I forgot the camera at home so there aren't any pictures of our wonderful lunch and Christmas gift opening with them.

After a long nap we all headed to Jason's parents house for Christmas with the Clarks.

The kids all closed their eyes to wait for one of their presents. You can see that Kate had no clue what was going on and Addison was peeking!

They all got these really cute rocking chairs. The kids love them! And yes, Addison wore her dress up clothes all day long!

Kate actually got the hang of opening presents by the third Christmas that we had. I don't know how she sits like that, but here daddy sat like that as a kid too.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Happy New Year, we hope 2010 brings you joy, love and many blessings.

Until Later,

Melissa

The Night Before Christmas

2009-12-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

It was the night before Christmas and the Clark crew was ready for Santa and his reindeer and some new traditions!

Christmas Eve is a magical time for the kids (and Jason & I). We have special Christmas Eve traditions that make the night even more memorable. We even added some traditions this year now that the kids are a little older.

First the reindeer were fed special reindeer food (It even snowed!). We had never left the reindeer food before, but the kids absolutely loved it. We certainly will be doing this for many more years.

Then we headed to church for the Christmas Eve service. We attempted to take a picture of the kids before church, this is what we got!

After church we headed to my parent's house. The kids were all changed into their matching Christmas pajamas. I love to put them in matching pajamas but have had a hard time finding them in previous years. I loved their matching pajamas this year!

My parents went to their church services and while we waited for them the kids decorated cookies for Santa. In the past we had always left Oreos or some other store bought cookie, but this year we decided the kids were ready to decorate. They had such a great time. They ate more than they left for Santa!

Then we all opened presents.

Isaiah loved his frog!

Addison Grace was so excited about her pink horse.

And sweet Kate really never opened a gift, but played with them all! She really loved the bubble wrap!

After all the gifts had been opened we went home and snuggled all the kids in bed with happy hearts knowing that Jolly Saint Nick would be arriving very soon!

Hopefully tomorrow I'll get the Christmas post up. I sure am running behind on posting. I thought I would get so much more done during these two weeks I was off. I was so wrong, three young kids and a house that looks like Toys R Us threw up all in it has really kept me busy!

Until Later,

Melissa

The Joy of a Box!

2009-12-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

Jason opened up one of his Christmas gifts early this year and the box that it came in became a huge hit. I cut a small door in it and before I knew it the box became the house, "that I always wanted" (as Isaiah told me numerous times). The kids had a blast playing in it today.

Yes, there are 3 kids in the box (and a backpack)!

Kate (and her bed head) enjoying the box.

Next year, no toys, only boxes! That sure would save a lot of money.

Happy Holidays from our house to yours,

Melissa

Tis the Season

2009-12-17T11:11:00.001-08:00

I absolutely love Christmas time. I have always loved Christmas time, but I love it even more now that I have children. I love to see the expressions on their faces when they see Christmas lights, help put up and tree and most of all open gifts.

Ever since Isaiah came home (almost 4 years ago!) we have gone to the Gaylord Hotel to take in all the sights and sounds of Christmas. We take pictures with Santa, watch the train go by, look at all the beautiful lights and just have a great time.

This year we experienced Christmas at the Gaylord with more than just the Clark Crew (the five of us). My family joined us and we had a great time (We missed you dad, hopefully you can join us next year!).

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the day.

The Clark Crew

Me with my Mom and my Brother

Grandma with her grandkids

Grandma & Katelyn watching the water. Katelyn was fascinated by the water.

Isaiah waiting for Santa

I love this picture! I may have loved it more if the kids would have looked at the camera. However, Isaiah pretending to drive the sleigh was too cute!

Happy Holidays,

Melissa

If it isn't the kids, it's the dogs!

2009-12-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

Not only do Jason and I have three sweet children, but we also have three dogs! One of our dogs, well actually he's my dog, is a big beagle named Sampson. If you have ever owned a beagle you know that they lead with their noses. Sampson is no different. If he smells food he's going to find a way to get it. The other night after dinner Jason and I were getting the kids ready for bed when we heard the dogs growling. We walked out into the living room and this is what we saw:

All we could do was laugh. The bag of donuts, which somehow got knocked off the counter, was stuck on Sampson's head (yes, we did have donuts for dinner with little smokie croissants). He could not get it off and was growling at any wall, dog or anything else that he happened to run into.

Later that night we asked the kids to feed the dogs. Usually, Isaiah and Addison do it and they do a pretty good job. That night, Kate decided to do it. This is what happens when you let a 1 1/2 year old feed the dogs! Thank goodness the dogs aren't picky and will eat their food off the floor.

Dog food even ended up on the stool. Kate has been banned from feeding the dogs until she is at least 2!

Between the kids and the dogs there is never a dull moment in the Clark house!

Until later,

Melissa

Christmas Pictures 2009

2009-11-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

We had Christmas pictures of the kids taken today. Or should I say, we attempted to have Christmas pictures of the kids taken today.

Isaiah looked adorable and smiled great. His dimple just melts my heart.

Addison looked precious and just smiled and smiled. I love her little smile and curly hair.

And Kate just cried and screamed "Mama" the whole time. I even tried to leave the room and hide so that she would maybe stop crying. Needless to say, we have a lot of pictures of Kate crying!

We tried to have her sit on Jason's lap. We were just going to crop him out. That didn't work either.
And once she stopped crying she just started reaching for me.

We did manage to get a couple of pictures of Kate not crying, here is her best picture.

Oh wait, there's a smile, but only because she was jumping off of a stool to me. It's nice to feel loved, but oh how I wish I would have gotten just one good picture of Kate.

And a picture of all three. Forget it, they turned out terrible. All I can do is laugh when I see them. Oh, the memories!

We did manage to get a couple of pictures of just Isaiah and Addison.

Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope your family pictures (or pictures of just your sweet children) turn out much better than ours!

Until later,

Melissa

National Adoption Day

2009-11-23T05:16:00.000-08:00

Saturday was National Adoption Day. It was a day where I, as an adoptive parent, thanked God for the gift he had given us. I'll never forget the day we received Isaiah's referral. We were heading home from church when we received a call from our adoption agency. It was Sept. 4, 2005. They went on to tell us that they had a little boy referral who was a month old and if we would consider adopting him. We said yes, pictures unseen, and then went home to check out all of his information. This is the first picture we ever saw! It was at that moment that my journey as a mother began.

Jason and I visited Guatemala many times, but nothing compares to the first time we saw him or the first time we had to give him back to his foster mother.

Jason and I back in our hotel room right after we met Isaiah.

Having to give Isaiah back to his foster mom after our first visit. You can't really see how red my eyes were. I don't know if I've ever cried so much.

Our adoption journey was full of ups and downs. Isaiah's birth mother was a minor and that made the adoption process a little longer. She had to go through numerous interviews to make sure this was the decision she wanted to make for her child. I think of her often and thank God for her decision. It must have been an incredibly hard decision and her strength is admirable. During the process, Jason and I, or myself and other family members traveled to Guatemala to meet and love on Isaiah. Here are a few of my favorite pictures:

I really wanted to just stick him in my suitcase and take him home.

Go Texas!
Aunt Christy meeting Isaiah.

Uncle Bud and Isaiah swimming. The weather in Guatemala is incredible. You can swim all year round, even in December!

Isaiah with his Papaw. They have an incredible bond.

Isaiah arrived home in Texas when he was 8 1/2 months old. We were greeted off the airplane by family who has loved Isaiah as much as we have from the moment they met him. He is a special little boy who has changed our lives forever. We are so thankful that we were chosen to be his forever family!

2009-10-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Oh, Kate, Kate, Kate! This girl sure keeps us on our toes. She has gone from this quiet, laid back little girl to a sneaky, mischievous little monkey. About three weeks ago Kate's personality really started to change. I think she was tired of being told what to do and how to do it by her siblings. She has started to "rule" her own little world. The past couple of nights Kate has stayed up late (and kept Addison up late) talking. She just talks and talks and talks. Jason and I often mute the TV just to listen to what Kate is talking about. We can't understand a lot of it, but she sure has the cutest voice. Tonight after hearing Kate talk and scream (a happy scream) for about 10 minutes, we walked into the girls room to check on her. This is what we saw:

The diaper stacker is now INSIDE the crib (Please ignore Kate's pajamas. Matching pajamas are not high on my priority list.):

The diapers are now on the floor:

Katelyn was so happy with herself and the mess she created!

Addison kept saying, "Katelyn just through all the diapers on the floor. It was so funny!"

Can you see Jason's foot on the floor? Yes, Jason picked up all the diapers and found a bucket to put them in while I took photos! Maybe Kate is trying to tell us she is ready to start potty training! Yeah right, three kids out of diapers, that would be a dream come true!

Until later,

Melissa

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

We decided to go to the Pumpkin Patch on a Monday that Jason and I both had off this year. It was a dreary, wet, sunless day, but we decided it was worth the trip because it probably wouldn't be too crowded. The lack of a crowd was wonderful, but the wet mud mixed with three kids who don't care if they are muddy, made for a real mess.

Katelyn wanted to keep all of the pumpkins.

Isaiah wanted to play in the bounce houses and wanted nothing to do with the pumpkins.

Addison was acting completely goofy.

After attempting to take pictures with the pumpkins we decided to leave and head to the bounce houses.
I really did not think that Kate could climb up the bounce house slide, but again she amazed me. It helps that she is in the 90th percentile for height.

This is the only picture I got of the three of them all day.

The slide was so met that water was bubbling out of every crack in it. Just look at Isaiah's socks.

The kids played on the bounce house slide for quite a while and then we headed to one more part of the pumpkin patch before heading home. Not only does the pumpkin patch have pumpkins and bounce houses, but they also have wooden trains and tractors and many little wooden figures.

Addison just loved Ariel!

Kate loved the wooden tractor.

After much fun, it was time to go. Poor Kate wanted to stay and play.

We headed to the car carrying Kate (screaming) the whole way. Jason put the car in reverse and before we knew it we were stuck. I wish I would have taken some pictures of Jason's car stuck in the mud, but I was trying to be a supportive wife. I was actually very impressed with what Jason did to get the car out of the mud. I don't know what I'd do without him!

Until next fall,

Melissa

The Good Life

2009-10-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

In the small town (I mean really small town) of Pecan Gap, Texas there are acres and acres of beautiful green grass, lots of cattle and a ranch that is loved by my kids. It is owned by my dad, and it is a beautiful 150 acre, 100 head of cattle, ranchers dream . I was absolutely thrilled when dad bought the ranch, not only because I had always dreamed of living out in the country, but also because it was a dream of my dads and he deserved it. He has always worked so hard so that my brother and I (and now my husband and kids) did not have to grow up like he did. I will never understand how he actually found the land. You have to take this back road and that back road, and go through tiny town after tiny town. But once you get there, it is an incredible sight. So today, Jason and I packed up the kids and headed out to the ranch. I am always excited to go to the ranch, but it is the kids who really love it.

Our first stop was the Pecan Gap Festival. They were hoping for 100 people (1/2 of the town) to show up and I think they had a pretty good turnout. They had a parade (which we missed), a petting zoo, a bounce house and some BBQ.

Isaiah absolutely loved the rabbits.

The kids loved the bounce house. They jumped and jumped and then jumped some more. Isaiah jumped so much that he was drenched in sweat (and it was 55 degrees outside).

After the festival we headed out to the ranch. It is hard to explain how spoiled my dad's cows are, but these pictures may help some. Dad's cows eat carrots, but only if they come straight from your hands. If you happen to drop a carrot (or try to throw them at the cattle like my kids) the cows won't eat them. It really is a sight to see!

My dad with a few of his "girls," which is what he calls his cows.

After a few minutes Isaiah finally stopped tossing the carrots to the cows and decided to try and feed them. Success! He was so proud of himself.

Addison loved feeding the cows.

Kate loved carrying the carrots to Papaw, but wasn't sure about feeding the cows.

A carrot that fell on the ground. I attempted to pick it up and feed it to the cows. They wanted nothing to do with it. SPOILED! I guess if I pooped all over the ground on which I ate, I might not eat them either. The 5 second rule doesn't apply to them.

Kate on the riding lawn mower. She climbed up there all by herself. She is our little cowgirl.

Isaiah on the gator. The kids love the gator but we weren't able to drive it today because of how wet the pasture was. The ranch has received about 13 inches of rain in the last few weeks.

My dad always has ice cream (or some kind of treat) for the kids. Today he had M&M ice cream for them. Kate loved it.Not only does my dad spoil the cows, but he also spoils my kids. Here is Kate on her new riding bull. It sings too!

My favorite picture. A man and his dream (with his grandchildren).

I attempted to crop and adjust the picture some. I'm not very good at it, but it turned out okay. I love how my dad is standing in this picture because this is how he always stood at my soccer games.

Until later,

Melissa

The Moment You Turn Your Back

2009-10-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

It never fails. The moment you turn you back (or discipline another child) one of your children gets into something that they really shouldn't. It doesn't matter that you put the object out of reach or told the child 4 times not to touch it. So tonight, I was vacuuming, Jason was disciplining a child and before I knew it:

This carpet deodorizer (which I love):

Ended up on my rug (which I also love). Note the computer wire in which my child decided to start playing in the deodorizer with.

If you look real close you can see little footprints in all the powder.

Oh, and the guilty part has little feet that looked like this after the incident:

And so who is the guilty party:

Only sweet precious Kate could make a mess like that!

Jason and I always joke that if you don't hear Kate you better go find her. She is always into something. And again tonight, she proved us right!

Until later,

Melissa

Isaiah's First Soccer Game!

2009-09-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Autumn Has Arrived

2009-09-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Autumn has arrived, at least it has to the Dallas Arboretum.

Pumpkins lined the sidewalks and just their presence brought a smile to the kids' faces. (Please ignore the terrible picture taking. I haven't quite figured out all the buttons on the camera yet. Some of the pictures have wonderful color and the others just stink.)

The kids got to pick their own pumpkin to take home. Katelyn found a pumpkin just her size (Well, Isaiah found it for her.).

Addison found the perfect pumpkin.

Then decided to toss it in the air (multiple times).

Isaiah found a lot of "perfect" pumpkins and finally decided on one.

The kids played chase.

Played Hide and Seek (and became very upset when they were found).

Played in the playhouses.
Had a picnic lunch.

And just had a great time.

You are probably wondering why sweet Katelyn isn't in a lot of pictures. Well, when you get stung by bees you get really grumpy. So she sat in the stroller with a lollipop (and a swollen hand). Her little face just says it all.

Until Later,

Melissa

Go Cowboys!

2009-09-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures of my sweet little girl who decided to put on a Dallas Cowboys helmet tonight. She is so cute I just want to kiss her little cheeks! Ignore the chocolate on her face, she had just eaten a few M&M's.

Until Later,

Melissa

I Quit (or at least want to)

2009-09-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

What a day! This has been a long day and I honestly can't wait to go to bed and wake up to a new day tomorrow. Here was how my day played out:

1. I get a call from my husband saying the dog needs either a $1400 dollar surgery or the better option would be the $3000 surgery. I really do love my dog. He is really turned into a great dog. However, I've paid for one knee surgery for him and now I'm paying for another. He still has many years left in his life so I couldn't imagine not paying for his surgery.I tell my parents all the time, "You didn't put me down because I had to have way too many knee surgeries, so I'm not putting my dog down." Oh, and he's getting the $1400 surgery (not the $3000 one).

2. I got a call from Isaiah's school, not because he was sick, but because he was in trouble. It was my first call from a teacher (and he's only 4)! Daddy had to go visit him to talk about his behavior.

3. I got an e-mail from a parent saying that their child was having an issue with another child. I had no clue that anything was even happening. I hate when that happens.

4. I pick up the kids and get home to find that one of the dogs had been sick all day and crapped all over the kitchen! Isaiah opened the door only to shut it and say, "I think I'm going to throw up." I had to not only clean it up but had to mop!I threw the mop away after mopping.

5. After cleaning up all the dog stuff I had to fix dinner. Isaiah wanted peanut butter and the girls wanted Mac and Cheese. I just made both.

6. I went to open the bag of Doritos for Isaiah's sandwich only to find a village of ants had moved in. I just threw them away.

So what did I do after a day like today? I made cookies and they sure were good!

Until Later,

Melissa

Rain, Rain, Please Don't Go Away!

2009-09-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

A summer storm came on through,
and brought some rain and fun too!

The kids wanted to swim,
but splashed in puddles instead.

So rain, rain please don't go away,
Come back and let us go splash and play!

Until Later,

Melissa

147 Million

2009-09-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

I love quotes! This is one of my favorites.

You can't change the whole world by helping one...

But the whole world for that one changes.

There are 147 million orphans in the world. One of my favorite blogs is www.kissesfromkate.blogspot.com. It is truly inspirational. If you would like to buy a product that goes to support the children of Uganda, visit this blog www.shopoatsvallvillage.blogspot.com.

Until Later,

Melissa

Fun in the hot Texas sun!

2009-08-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

We ended the summer out in the hot Texas sun!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Fun was had by everyone!

Isaiah's Version of Humpty Dumpty

2009-08-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

Isaiah loves to sing and put on a show. He decided to show us his version of Humpty Dumpty tonight. Of course, he had to use Spiderman as Humpty.

I sure do love this boy!

The Final Days of Summer

2009-08-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

So, the last day of summer has come and is almost over. It was a summer full of swimming, seeing animals (Sea World!), birthday parties, Paradise Pond visits and just lots of fun. I had the best time with the kids and really cherished the time I got to spend with them. I had big plans for my last week with the kids, but that all changed the day of Isaiah's party. I woke up with a stomach ache, thought I would sleep it off and ended up in the ER having a major surgery (appendix). So the kids went to school the last two weeks of summer so that I could recover. I'm going to try to make up for it this weekend. We're going to take the kids swimming tomorrow and to the zoo on Sunday. Pictures of the last weekend of summer will be coming soon!

Until later,

Melissa

Happy Birthday!

2009-08-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to my sweet Isaiah, Happy Birthday to you!

Sweet Isaiah,

It is hard to believe that you are now 4! You are such a bright, loving and funny young man. Your daddy and I are so proud to call you our son. I'm not sure if you will ever understand how special you really are to us. I'll never forget the day we got the call that we were going to be parents to a special little boy. We loved you from that moment on. On this special day I can't help but think about your birth mother. She was such a brave young lady. We are forever grateful to her for making us parents. I hope she knows how much you are loved and adored.

Your daddy and I can't wait to see what you are going to do with your life. You have such a great future ahead of you. We love you sweet boy, Happy Birthday!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Princess Addison

2009-07-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Oh my dear sweet Addison. She is fiesty, stubborn and certainly knows what she wants(and she finds a way to get it). I have always said that Addison will be a leader. It is just her personality. She is just so strong willed. But she is also adorable, loving and just so darn cute. I love the curls, the smile and everything about her. But man there are some days she makes me want to cry. The conversation from the other night was this:

Isaiah (screaming): "Mom, Addison just peed in my shoe bucket."

Me: "You are kidding, right. Why on earth would she pee in your shoe bucket?"

Isaiah: "No, I'm not teasing you. But she did dump my shoes out first."

Me: "Well, that's good. I'll go check on her."

Sure enough, as I was cooking dinner (Stuff like this always happens when I cook dinner!) Addison dumped out Isaiah's shoe bucket and peed in it.

Me: "Addison Grace why did you pee in the shoe bucket?"

Addison: "Because I needed to and I didn't want to walk to the bathroom."

Me: "That is so gross, we don't pee in shoe buckets."

Addison: "Well, at least I wiped with that shirt."

Seriously, are you kidding me! What on earth am I supposed to say or do in response to that.

But that is my daughter, my sweet, stubborn, curly haired princess! I sure do love her!

Not My Child Monday

2009-07-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

So, I've decided to give this a try. I do have a lot of moments where I say, "Who's child is that?" all along knowing that they really are MY children!

It was not my sweet loving children who decided to all drink water from the puddle out in the front yard. And I most certainly would not laugh and just grab a camera.

It is not my precious curly haired child who carries her backpack, stuffed with all kinds of things, all around the house at all times. And we certainly do not call her "bag lady."

It was not my little man who had to go the bathroom and just decided to pull down his pants and go in the front yard. And it was not me who just smiled and didn't say a thing. I most certainly would never allow him to do that.

It is not my strong willed child who yelled at swim lessons, "Princesses do not swim!" and refused to do anything at swim lessons. And her sweet little sister did not absolutely love swims lessons!

Until later (I'm sure there will be many more "Not My child" moments in between!),

Melissa

Another Fun Day!

2009-07-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to Paradise Pond in Grapevine today. They had such a great time. I would highly recommend it to parents of toddlers and preschoolers!

Summer Fun

2009-07-15T19:52:00.001-07:00

Another hot day in Texas calls for some sprinkler fun in the sun!

Do you know the muffin man?

2009-07-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

How do you clean the muffin batter out of the bowl that mom just mixed?

Well, you can either take the bowl and put it on the floor and share with your sister!

Or you can hold the bowl, put your head in it and not share at all!

Yummy

2009-07-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness I took off her shirt before she ate lunch. I should have taken her skirt off as well. She LOVES spaghetti!

I love these kids!

2009-07-07T12:46:00.000-07:00

I was cooking dinner last night when I walked out into living room to check on the kids and saw this!

I love these kids!

Father's Day!

2009-06-20T21:57:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day to the best dad three kids could ever ask for! We love you!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

My Monday Menu

2009-06-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Feeding my wonderful husband and three hungry children is not easy. I am actually enjoying more since I am off this summer. However, when school starts back again it is really hard to come home from work and get a good meal on the table. So, I've decided to start putting my favorite, easy recipes on here. Now I won't forgot them and maybe someone else will enjoy them!

So Monday's Menu - Cheesy Volcano Meatballs (from the Kraft website, my favorite)

1 lb. lean ground beef
6 RITZ Crackers, finely crushed
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
3/4 cup spaghetti sauce, divided
12 Cheddar Cheese Cubes
4 hot dog buns or Kaiser Rolls

Heat Oven to 400.

MIX meat, cracker crumbs, Parmesan and 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce. Shape into 12 meatballs, using about 2 Tbsp. meat mixture for each.

PLACE, 2 inches apart, in shallow baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Press 1 cheese cube deeply into center of each meatball.

BAKE 14 min. or until meatballs are done. Meanwhile, microwave remaining sauce in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec. or until heated through; spoon into buns. Fill with meatballs.

Enjoy, I'm sure my kids will!

Concert at the Park

2009-05-31T16:56:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the City of Farmers Branch event last night. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra entertained everyone and the fireworks were incredible. The kids had the best time (and the weather was perfect)!

Isaiah enjoying his snowcone.

Addison looking oh so cute while listening to the music (and Isaiah trying to block the camera).

Katelyn listening intently with Gramma and Papaw.

Until Later ,

Melissa

A Beautiful Sunday!

2009-05-17T19:34:00.001-07:00

A beautiful Sunday at the park with our sweet babies!

Addison watching her brother and sister.

Katelyn is the queen of what Jason and I call "yelling." However, it is more of a very high pitched squeal. She looks so precious making that terrible sound!

Addison Swinging!

Isaiah and his handsome smile! And yes, he was throwing rocks after I told him not to for the 100th time and yes, one landed on his shoulder.

Katelyn still making that noise, but looking oh so cute! Her hair is starting to curl. I don't know what I'm going to do with two curly haired princesses.

Isaiah being his silly self!

I sure love these sweet babies!

Mom's Day 2009

2009-05-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

I remember the years when Mother's Day made my cry. I wanted to be a mom more than anything. I actually skipped going to church on Mother's Day because I didn't want to think about it any more than I had to. My life felt incomplete. I had an incredible, supportive husband and felt like a failure because I couldn't provide him with the children that he wanted. And then my life took a turn that I never expected.

My nights are now spent awake because a child needs (or wants) me, not because I'm longing for a child.

My tears are often because I'm laughing so hard at one of the kids that I start crying not because another attempt at having a child has failed.

My smiles are now tripled because of my three miracles.

My money (all of it) is now spent on my children not on trying to have children.

My worries are now that I'm not being the best mom that I can be instead of not ever becoming a mom.

Here are my precious miracles. Thank you sweet babies for making me a mommy. I love you!

And to my mom, I love you! You have helped make me the mom (and person) that I am today. Thank you for all your advice, understanding and love. I only hope that I can be as good of a mom as you are.

Until next time,

Melissa

GOTCHA!

2009-04-13T19:31:00.001-07:00

It was exactly three years ago today that I became a mom! I cried in church yesterday thinking of how lucky I am to not just be a mom, but to be Isaiah's mom. Thank you Isaiah for making your dad and my dreams come true. Your daddy and I love you so much.

The first time we ever met Isaiah. We were about to hand him back to his foster mom because we had to come back to Texas (hint the tears in my eyes).

This photo is on our pick up trip to Guatemala. I couldn't believe the long wait to become parents was over.

Isaiah when he turned 3! That dimple still melts my heart everytime I see it.

Isaiah sitting in a chair (that is not his and way too small for him). He is getting so big.

Happy Gotcha Day! We love you!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

2009-04-10T18:04:00.001-07:00

Isaiah had his first Blastball game the other day. He did a great job. It was our first sports event as parents. We loved every minute of it an can't wait to attend the may more that lie in our future!

Isaiah looking oh so handsome in his uniform! He looks so grown up for 3 1/2.

Isaiah running to first base! His poor little helmet doesn't fit right, but it sure makes for a good picture!

Isaiah getting ready to field the ball!

Play Ball!

Officially 2 and 1!

2009-03-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little girls have turned 2 and 1. It is hard to believe that it was two years ago that Addi Grace was born and one year ago that Katelyn was born.

Isaiah came home from Guatemala at 8 1/2 months old. We were so excited to be new parents and couldn't wait to get to know him better. Isaiah was home for about 3 months when I started feeling really sick. I was completely exhausted and nauseated a lot. I knew I couldn't be pregnant, after all we were told we could never have biological children. We had been out on a Sunday afternoon when I told Jason I just needed to go home and rest. He urged me to take a pregnancy test in which I laughed in his face and told him, "Don't waste money on that." Well, he finally convinced me to take one and the shock of it turning positive after one second, I will never forget. We were in complete disbelief. A roller coaster of emotions began on that day. We were so excited only to find out at the doctor the next day that I was miscarrying. We were devastated. I took the news really hard and had the hardest time thinking about anything else the next week. I went in a week later for a checkup only to see a little heartbeat. God had heard all of our prayers and answered them. 9 months later Addison Grace entered our lives. We were a happy family of four!

Addison is now a happy, feisty 2 year old. She is independent, a talker and certainly keeps her daddy and I on our toes.

About three months after Addison was born I started getting really sick. I told my colleagues at work that I had food poisoning. I didn't think I was pregnant, I had been on birth control since Addison was born. It was the first day of inservice at school and I was taking nausea medicine the whole day. My colleagues told me to get a pregnancy test because they knew I was pregnant. So, I called Jason and told him to pick up a case of beer for him and a pregnancy test. Sure enough, I was pregnant again. Tears flowed from my eyes for about an hour. How could I be pregnant again? How can we afford this? How can I be a good mom and spend enough time with all three kids? All the doubts have since gone away. I couldn't imagine our life without Katelyn Danielle!

Katelyn is our sweet baby girl. She lights up the room with her little smile.

Happy Birthday Girls! We love you more than you will ever know.

The Happiest Place on Earth!

2009-03-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Disney World really is "where dreams come true." We had the best time on our trip. The kids had a great time and really enjoyed the magical world of Disney. I'll let a few (of the hundred that I took) pictures tell the rest of the story!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E! A family picture with the famous Mickey Mouse. Thank you mom and dad (Granma and Papaw) for such a wonderful vacation. I am truly blessed to be your daughter and to have parents who love my husband and kids so much!

Isaiah with Goofy. He really loved getting to meet all the characters, but Goofy was a character that he just had to see and give a hug!

Papaw bought Addi Grace a Tinkerbell doll for her birthday. Her face says it all, she loves it!

Clark family picture at Magic Kingdom. It is amazing to see how the decorate the parks. I love that you walk down Main Street to get to Cinderella's castle.

We watched the parade at Magic Kingdom. It was really incredible.

Katelyn enjoying the parade
Mickey Mouse's house

We had dinner with the Belle and other Princesses for Addison and Katelyn's birthday.

Addison enjoying playing at Pooh's house.

Isaiah loved the Finding Nemo ride.

What do three kids look like after a busy day at Disney World?

Our incredible vacation is over and we must now head back to school and work. It was a magical vacation that we will never forget!

Until later,

Melissa