Happy Holidays

Well, it just doesn't quite feel like the holidays yet but it will soon. Our house didn't get decorated, no lights outside because we will be packing up soon and heading to Arizona for Christmas. It always brightens my heart to be there close to family and friends. Lots to do though to get to that point but that call from our "Ciara" "grandma, Papa I love you." We love you too Ciara and we can't wait to be there to do all the things you love to do and meet your brand new puppy. We leave on the 17th and return in the New Year.

Thanksgiving

A very old pic of a thanksgiving of the past with mom, dad, my brother, his wife and I. Wow how the years have changed our family. Dad is gone, I have a husband, two beautiful daughters, a son in law, a darling granddaughter.

Well, Thanksgiving brings so many memories and things I am grateful for . . . . . .

My heart always aches this time of year when I am so far from my mom, daughter, granddaughter, brother but it rejoices to know at Christmas I will be there.

I am grateful to have a set of family in laws to celebrate with . . . .

I am grateful to have close friends that are best knows "as family"

I am grateful for all the servicemen and woman who are out fighting for our country instead of gathering around their family tables.

I am grateful for a healthy family.

I am grateful for my job and my home.

I wish all a very grateful "Thanksgiving" as you join with family or friends or both this holiday season.

Favorite Photo Friday - Family Photo

Well, my favorite family photo is from this past Sept. It is a shot of my husband's family and my daughters. It was my 50th Birthday and our oldest came home from Arizona with her husband and my granddaughter for the occassion. We had a family dinner at my mother in laws house because she was unable to get out. This pic includes my daughters, my sister in law and her entire family and my mother in law. It was a great evening of food, family and celebration and I am going to remember it for the rest of my life. We had a great birthday party the next day but this was really the highlight of the week -- yep we celebrated for a week :)

Fav. Friday Photo - Happy Halloween

This picture is about 17 years old. Both my girls on the front porch modeling sweatshirts made by their Aunt Sharyl "the talented one in the family." Morgan was maybe 2 and so that put Heather at about 7 I would guess. I just loved those days but I don't miss them either. So enjoy your halloween and our blast from the past.

Happy Birthday Heather!

It doesn't seem possible that this little girl will turn 25 on Oct. 29th. It seems like just yesterday that her father and I were celebrating the announcement of her impending birth with family and friends. I remember my father saying "are you sure your ready for a baby." Well, I remember thinking "well it is a bit too late now to think of that." However, it was one of the most exciting days of his life when I gave birth to this little girl. She was the apple of his eye.

I do have to say that it was questionable if I would every have her. I was in a car accident when I was 7 months pregnant. A car rear ended our car and put me in the hospital in premature labor for a week. After finally getting the labor calmed down and sent me home I went two weeks over my due date before finally having her. I might say there were lots of trips to the hospital in false labor but when finally labor started it was hard and long. I would estimate about 1.5 days of labor before finally giving birth to her. In those days it was IV drugs and no epiderals for the pain and lots of doctors and nurses saying "sometimes first babies take forever." I remember telling my mom, dad and her father "I was sure I had made a mistake about wanting a baby and lets go home." It was too late and I am glad it was because she has made me very proud.

She has lived through lots in her 25 years of life and made us proud. Unfortunantly for her, her father and I divorced just two years after her birth and until she was 5 lived with mom and visited dad. She was lucky because her father was always part of her life. We were lucky to find Tom when she was only 6 and she had "two" dads. Then she became a big sister; something she never thought she would become.

She attended 12 years of Catholic School and graduated from DeSales High School. There was only 4 children in her graduating class that had gone through the Catholic School System in WW from the beginning to the end of their education. It was a day I will never forget. She spent a year kind of floundering and wondering what she wanted to do and then did one of the bravest things I could ever imagine; and one of the most heart breaking days of my life. She moved to Arizona to live with her grandparents and go to a Intense Nursing School. She graduated high in her class even though she called sometimes 5 times a day and just knew she could not and would not make it. She has moved right along in her Nursing career and is in Nursing Administration in Arizona at a Long Term Care Facility. I remember when my father was in the last week of our lives she was with us every minute and gave us good advise and made sure grandpa was well cared for and got everything he needed. She paid him back for everything he had done for her in her life. I know she misses him more than to the moon and back and to the moon again because in many cases he was more than just her "Grandpa."

So here is a picture of her when she was about 3 and celebrating Halloween. Halloween was always celebrated well at our house because we always celebrated Halloween and her Birthday together.

Here she is this past September. A lovely young woman with a husband and young daughter. We are so very proud of who she is and what she has accomplished.

Happy Birthday early sweet girl!

Love, Mom

It's A New Car . . . .

Favorite FOTO Friday #59 - Summer Memories

Although it pushes the Summer Season a bit the weather said it was still summer so here you go ............

Well our eldest daughter, Heather, visited Walla Walla from Sept. 18 to Sept. 23 with her husband, Will, and our granddaughter Ciara. They came as my 50th Birthday Gift and what a gift it was. I have choosen some pics from the visit randomly because I am not so good at this blogging stuff. Sit back and enjoy our family as much as we enjoyed having them visit. We can't wait to see them in Arizona when we travel there for Christmas.


\ Ciara has had a full day and zonked out in the car :) I can tell it was Sunday because she has her football jersey on.

We traveled to our cabin up Mill Creek to pick blackberries. A time Heather remembers as a child. I wasn't so excited but once we were all up there it brought back great memories when Tom, Heather and I became a family back in 1989 and this was something we did almost every Fall weekend.

Mom and daughter remembering the old days.

The old cabin.

Isn't our eldest daughter beautiful? She is a nurse now and we are so proud of her

We celebrated my birthday at a party hosted by my good friend Susan and her spouse and it was attended by an overwhelming number of friends and family. Although I said "NO CAKE" here it is.

Here is what 50 candles do . . . . . . .

One of my daughter's first stops was to go visit Grandpa Clark's gravesite and take him flowers. She loved "Papa Swede."

We walked downtown and hit the farmer's market.

We gathered as a family and celebrated my birthday again with my great niece Emmaleigh who celebrated her 12th birthday. Few candles.

All the greatgrandkids with Grandma; She has her eyes on Ciara. This was great fun for her.

Great Uncle Mike was a hit with Ciara . . . .

The cousins . . . .Heather, Sarah and Ciara

More family shots

This is the sweet girl we miss so much. She warmed our beds, she kept us busy and she warmed our hearts more than she will ever know. Thank you Rucker's for making this trip to Walla Walla.

Love, Mom/Grandma

Family Dinner - Day 1 of Heather and Family's Trip To Walla Walla

Favorite Foto Friday - Our Granddaughter is coming

Well we only have 6 days to wait to see this beautiful granddaughter of ours . . .we can hardly wait but her mama sent us a few new pics to keep us happy today.

And Another . . . . .

And Another . . . . .
And this is what grandpa and I have waiting for her . . . . .we should be voted #1 right away; at least that is the plan.

FFF - Baby Pictures

Our two girls one week old.

The one all dressed in pink is our 24 year old daugher Heather at 1 week old.

The other baby is our baby Morgan at 1 week old; now 17.

We have truly been blessed with these two baby girls who have grown up to be wonderful young woman.

We Lost A Good Friend

BARNEY CLARK

1994 - 2008

Thursday morning (8/28/20-08) we lost a good friend that we will miss for a long time . . . . . Our youngest daughter brought Barney home when she was only three years old (she turns 18 this spring). She would dress him in baby doll clothes, put him in the stroller and head down the street. Barney was quite a trooper about this. He loved lounging in the yard and letting everyone and anyone going down the street pet him. We will miss him.


Morgan, Tom and I looked everywhere yesterday for a stone for his final resting place with no luck. Nothing fit. So this afternoon Morgan and I (mostly Morgan) worked on this. A fitting tribute to a good friend. Rest in peace Barney.

My Girls Far Away

I always consider it a great day when I get pictures of my daughter and granddaughter that live so far away.


"When you cherish the emotional value of a gift, it can never really be lsot, for what you carry in your heart is your to keep, forever."

Our Oldest Daughter, Heather

Our Granddaugher Ciara and her friend

(Ciara is the one all dressed up and ready to go)

FFF - New Pictures of Our Favorite Family

This is our oldest daughter, Heather, and our granddaugher, Ciara

This is a picture of our daughter and her husband

These are pictures we wait patiently for and they what keeps us going until they visit Walla Walla in September. We are lucky this year because we will then head to Arizona to visit them in December. Wow!

We can't wait to see you!

Love, Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Morgan

Favorite Photo Friday - Best Friends

Best Friends makes me think of this past Winter was really quite hard on my youngest daughter who was 16. Her "BFF" moved from Walla Walla where she lived with her mom to Germany to live with her Dad. It was a hard time for Morgan but it is so wonderful that they are still great friends. They email, instant message, and stay in contact almost every day. Although, Morgan has lots of friends Kathy remains very close to heart and it was tough for Morgan when she left. However, we love you Kathy :)

This photo is just plain cute. It is of my husband many many many years ago with his little friend taking a picture in the Firetruck -- you can do that when your dad is a fireman.

The Clark Family

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

MOVING DAY

Well, as sad as it is my husband's mother, my second mother, had to move out of the rental she has been living in across the street from us to a new place. She is like my second mother. However, the owner needed his house back and so we had no choice. So yesterday, today and probably for weeks to come we our moving. Everything is at the new place and tonight will be her first sleeping night there but the unpacking really begins tomorrow. She is 83 so change is hard so please pray for her; in fact I think change is hard for my husband who would spend time time with her is hard if not harder. Please keep us all in your prayers and good thoughts as this process proceeds.

FAVORITE FOTO FRIDAY #47 - RED, WHITE AND BLUE

These pictures were the end of a wonderful 4th of July shared by family and friends at the Clark house.

FAVORITE FOTO FRIDAY #46 - SUMMER LOVIN

HERE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE FOTO'S OF MY GRANDDAUGHTER ENJOYING THE POOL THIS SUMMER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Favoritye Foto Friday #43 Messy Spaces/Disorderly Conduct

Well, today's theme is perfect for my favorite drawer; no one in the family dare open it. It is full to the brim with photos of the past -- this is pre digital camera time so be prepared. I have tried to bundle them and sort them and then you start to look for one and well here is what you have: