Clark Clean-up Part 2 and other Spring News

So, February was Clark Clean-up Month and it was a great start to a good habit. I know I got rid of more than 28 items, but I didn't do a good job of finding something to put in the pile every day. I'm still looking for things to get rid of though and like I said, it's a great start to a good habit. We need less.

Pancakes....yes please!

One of my favorite things to do is make breakfast with the girls on the weekend. I am lusting after a waffle maker (Stella loves her some frozen, processed, toaster waffles that have got to get out of our house!), but in the meantime we like to make pancakes. I've tried all kinds of pancakes and in an effort to go gluten free for the family, I've finally found a pancake recipe that doesn't suck and seems very close to the whole wheat kind I used to make (I still like those too!). Stella gobbled these up, and even The Dick said you'd never know they were gluten free. That is a high compliment from him as he is pretty honest about the gluten/grain free stuff that I come up with. I always know it's a flop when I put out a plate of some new creation and it doesn't disappear within a day or so-cut to sad peanut butter-nutella cookies. You'd think those would be a hit....nope! Bummer.

Why I'm not a failure

I'm not finishing my master's degree this semester. I'm supposed to. But I'm not. I haven't told my professor that yet, but it's going to have to happen soon. I started the program a week before I found out I was pregnant with Stella. Besides the two semesters I took off to have both Stella and Pippa, I've taken classes every semester since. It's been a lot of work. I've learned a lot. I've met great people. My education is helping my students. I'm glad I've done it thus far.

Valentine's Day, Lent, and Thankfulness

Valentine's Day was simple and sweet this year. Pippa wore a new little heart-filled shirt, and Stella got little nail decals for the special day (Plus she wore her new Minnie Mouse shirt from grandma-she couldn't be happier). We made heart-shaped scones for her daycare friends too.

The Clark Clean-Up Confessions

No, you have not just entered an episode of hoarders. These are our closets. The community closets for the whole family and all our junk (Our bedroom closets don't look like this I promise). February is "Get this S%$* out of the house" month! I've even got the Dick on board too! Yes! That wasn't as hard as a thought, but he is a bit of a neat freak so it shouldn't surprise me.

I've started a pile. A pile of things to be rid of. The current problem is not getting rid of our unused items, but where to store them until it's time to give them away. I've noticed that I can't have the old stuff just sitting out where I can see it, because when I can see it, I think up ways to use the items, or reasons to keep them. It's ridiculous. I haven't used any of this stuff in years. Get. Rid. Of. It. Brooklynn! So on this long President's Day weekend, we will get rid of the items we have so far.

Chocolate Date Bars

I like Lara Bars. Stella likes Lara Bars. Lara Bars are expensive. But I feel like they are full of whole foods and nothing processed, so I've been buying them as easy snacks on the go. But in an effort to save money on these kinds of things, I've been trying to make them myself. Any recipe I have tried so far has not lived up to my expectations. Until now. This is pretty good! I like it. Stella likes it. It went fast in our house.

The Clark Clean-Up!

Starting on January 1st, I decided to do a Whole30. Whole30 you ask? In a nutshell, I strictly follow a Paleo diet for 30 days. No Grains, No Dairy, No Sugar, No Alcohol. There is a ton of science behind this kind of elimination diet. A lot has to do with eliminating foods that cause inflammation in your gut and other parts of the body-which most diseases start from. The Paleo Solution is a good book about it and there are a ton of podcasts and blogs that I found helpful too (Balanced Bites and The Paleo View). I had a few reasons for trying to do a Whole30-since college my stomach goes through phases where it is knotted up, cramped, and bloated! Yuck! It hurts and it's hard to keep up with two little girls when my stomach is in knots. The other reason is I need to get into my old jeans-plain and simple. 

I'm back!

It's been over a year since I've posted anything on our family blog. So, for my first post of 2013 I thought I should do a rewind of 2012. Here goes...

New pictures of our little family

Family Easter photo

Stella in her tutu.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

Early this morning I went to Redwood Covenant Church to help pass out food to those in need. I'd never done this before so I hardly knew what to expect. I showed up at 7am to see hundreds of families posted up waiting for us to "open". The line wrapped around the church and some had been waiting since midnight. It was great to see so many families getting food, gifts, and Christmas trees this holiday season. Despite the long line and long wait, kids and adults alike were smiling and thankful.

Making a list...

Anyone who knows me well knows that I like to make lists. Grocery lists, lists of stuff to do, lists of stuff I like, stuff I don't like, things I wish I had, places I wish I was, and it goes on and on.

Today I will make a list of things I am thankful for in my life. However important or ridiculous they may be, I am thankful for the following...

The mystery of napping.

I was all set to go back to work in January. We found a wonderful lady to watch over Stella a few days a week, which was quite a relief (which reminds me, I need to call her).

Wedding, Honeymoon.....baby.

Whoah,,,,,it's been a long long time since I've last blogged and A LOT has happened since June of 2009. Well, we got married and it was amazing. Everything went off without a hitch and the only uncomfortable part was that it was a steaming 108 degrees. Soooo hot! But luckily for us with the help of a fabulous photographer, no one looked sweaty at all in our pictures.

Someone called me...

yesterday and said in her message, "Have you killed him yet? I'm sure you're stressed. Call me." I really had no idea what my girlfriends were talking about when they said they were going to kill their soon to be husbands or that they were about 2 seconds away from calling the whole thing off the week of their wedding. Maybe now I have an inkling of what they were feeling. I'm not going to kill him and I'm not calling anything off, not to worry. But when simple things like me wanting tortilla chips and him wanting Doritos sends me stomping off in the opposite direction of him in a grocery store, I know the stress is getting to me. So, in this final week before the wedding I am trying to tell myself to breathe....in through my nose, out through my mouth.

"Behave now..."

said Clementine at the County Clerks office in Santa Rosa. Yesterday Richard and I ventured out to get our marriage license. Richard was all jokes and smiles, even clapping for the couple in front of us who was also applying for their marriage license. He made funny quips about how this was the last day of freedom, how we can't turn back now, and my personal favorite when there were two Richard Clark's with different brides in the system..."Don't tell her there's another woman!" And even though he raised his right hand and recited the "name change" statement with more emotion than the best actor out there, it was fun and exciting to do this life-changing thing together. I'm ready for next weekend and a lifetime of fun with my groom.

The Month of July...

Is crazy before it's even started. It's approximately 22 minutes before July 1st and I already feel overwhelmed by the weight of this month. 17 days till the wedding, 13 days before I head down to San Luis for wedding extravaganza, 12 days till we have to move out of our house and into a storage unit till after the honeymoon, and in the mean time there are about a million things to do. Everyday the list gets longer. You'd think it would get shorter, but it doesn't...longer. Weird.

The Graduate...

Last weekend Bo graduated from Southern Oregon University. It is amazing to me to think that my little brother; the one I used to call names, the one who's room I used to sneak into when I was scared at night, is old enough to be graduating from college. It was so fun to watch him walk in a long line of other soon-to-be college graduates to his seat and later across the stage to get his diploma. I wonder if he was nervous or thinking, "Wow, how the hell did I pull this one off?" The speakers were surprisingly charming, and inspiring. The weather was great and they even said his name right, which might be the most impressive part of the day. Dad, mom, Doug, Desiree, Rich, and I all got to celebrate with Bo throughout the weekend. In September there will be a family BBQ to continue the party for Bo and his special accomplishment. I'm so excited.

A problem of the heart...

It's been a bit of a stressful time for Richard and I lately. I was in Oregon visiting my family and Richard was in Santa Rosa working when he got a call last week that his mom had a heart attack. She's obviously a strong lady because she had guests over while it all happened and she didn't even seem to notice, except that her chest was hurting. Beth is generous and loving to a fault. She has been in the hospital ever since and they seem to think the problem happened in the middle of her heart not the arteries. They are going to do tests today and then hopefully we'll know more.
Rich is headed down to LA this morning while I stay here to take care of a million appointments, some in Santa Rosa and some in San Luis Obispo. I wish I was there with all of them more than I wish to take care of details that seem a little trivial right now. On the inside I feel bad and hope that Rich and his family don't think I believe wedding appointments are more important than family. And while I'm feeling that, yesterday Rich says, "I just don't want you to feel like I think all of the wedding details aren't important, because they are." Coming into the last part of this big event I so appreciate that Rich is mindful of my feelings even when this huge thing is happening with his mom. So, we go into a second week apart and I pray that God will mend Beth's problem of the heart.

30 Days and Counting...

till the big day. Rich and I are so excited for our wedding and all the different parts of that time. BBQ, the rehearsal, some pampering, the wedding day, and of course the honeymoon in Belize. All the final details are coming together. I am nervous I admit, but Rich is so sweet and reassures me all the time of the amazing wedding and life we will have together. Can't wait!

Pictures will be up soon!