June ~
Part of my spring has been busy trying to help Cameron get all the necessary paperwork and testing done for his job this summer. I can’t believe he left us for the whole summer, I was hoping to have one more summer with him at home. However, he had decided he was going to go to Valdez, Alaska and work for Peter Pan Foods for the summer. A fun and great adventure for a young boy.
Cameron turned 18 years old on the 13th of June; we had a little backyard BBQ on the 20th and celebrated many things at once. Cameron’s birthday, Cameron & Jeremy leaving for Alaska, Grandma Joyce’s 75th birthday, and Father’s day. It was wild and crazy but a great time.
We to take Cameron to the airport on June 21st. I was filled with mixed emotions as I sent my first and only son off someplace I didn’t know anything about, other than what I saw on the internet. He was excited and nervous. Hank went back with him until he boarded the plane; he came out excited for Cameron to have this experience. I just wanted him to stay home in the nest for just a bit longer.

The rest of June was spent doing our usual summer routine of messing around with Kambrie’s sheep and horse projects. We did squeeze in a little dance camp and some swimming when it finally warmed up and stopped raining.

Cameron called frequently and expressed much appreciation for his home and his own room. He lived in an 8 x 8 room with two other boys. At first their only mode of transportation and access to the internet (facebook) was to peddle their bikes down to the local library. At the library they were given a pass that allowed them on for 30 minutes at a time, LOL! He didn’t work much at first because the season had not begun yet. This gave him an opportunity to explore his new surroundings as he went out on a glacier and whale watching tour. He would also go to harbor and try his hand at fishing down there. I would always ask him if had seen any bears, for a while it was not yet. Finally, I received a phone call from him; he had been down fishing and caught a few fish. A while later he had moved so they could sit back and watch to see if the bears would come in. They didn’t have to wait too long before a mama bear and her three cubs moved in. He talked to me as he watched the bears walk right where he had been. I remember hearing him say “This guy is nuts mom, one of the cubs just sniffed his pant leg.” He was a photographer that either had no brains or no fear. When I saw the pics I couldn’t believe how close they were. What an awesome experience.

I absolutely love this last picture!!!

Trying to catch up, May & June

I cannot believe how time flies by anymore. It used to drag not sure why but I DON’T LIKE IT!!!

May ~

It has been awhile since I posted so I am trying to play catch up, so bear with me. :D The last I posted it was the first part of May, Cameron was getting ready to graduate and there seemed to be so much going on. We worked all winter to finish the basement, which turned out great. I love it, still need to furnish it though. A little patience and little time and it too will happen. ;)

This was a little extra bonus for ordering too much shelving. Hank & Cameron built in a little food storage for me in my pantry.

The end of May was busy with Graduation plans, subbing, dance recitals, etc. Cameron’s graduation was an exciting and sad day for me. I was excited for him as he was soooooo ready to move on and discover life beyond high school. It was a fun and exciting day as we had a big party with family and friends before the Graduation ceremony that night. I helped chaperone the Senior Party that night. The kids had lots of fun and were given some great prizes. I got to bed around 5 a.m. then got up to sub for Mrs. Hartwell the next day, talk about tired and dragging.

Kambrie had fun dancing with En Pointe this year and learning how to dance in Pointe shoes. She really enjoys dancing and making new friends. This year they performed Anastasia, I really enjoyed watching their performances.

Kambrie also tried her hat at running barrels and poles at different competitions here close by. She is fun to watch and has a lot of work to do but does pretty well for the amount of time she has put into it. Dad is always watching to see when to sign her up and where. I am glad they have something to do together they both enjoy.

The end of May always ends with a bang as we all set out for our first camping trip of the season at Indian Hot Springs. This year definitely didn’t let us down, LOL! It was nice to get away from everything and spend time with family. Hank & I had gone for a ride on Sunday, just for fun. He had seen a bunch of cars headed out past the campground and down a dirt road. So, we were curious where everyone was going. We followed dusty, winding road for a quite a way before we finally discovered where everyone was going. We have gone to Indian Hot Springs for YEARS, and not until this year did we discover that every year the hummingbirds migrate through this area. Tucked back in the mountain there is a little house and every year they catch and mark the hummingbirds migrating through the area. I couldn’t believe all the people back there watching the humming birds. They would catch them, and then mark them with a small dot of paint, then place them in the kids hands and allow them to let them go. Some of the humming birds took right off, while others lay there still for a moment or two. I have never seen so many humming birds flitting around; it was really kind of cool. So, Hank and I headed back to camp to gather up anybody else that was interested in watching the humming birds. The kids enjoyed watching them and letting them go.

Today it FINALLY hit me............

So I haven't blogged in awhile been keeping pretty busy with substitute teaching, working at Burley Glass and running around to the kids activities. So what has happened since January we worked most of the winter on the basement. It is now finished just need to furnish it YAY!! Cameron & Kambrie have kept us busy running and working, but today I finally had a day of nothing really pressing to do. Kambrie is upstairs sick on the couch, Hank is sleeping because he is working the graveyard shift, and Cameron went to the City of Rocks with Grandma Marilyn. So here I am........... thinking of all the things that have happened in the last few months and the reality of my little boy graduating in 16 days hits me. I am a MESS!! Cameron has had a good Senior year, he has gone to his last Preference dance, been to the East Coast for a week, attended his last FFA Convention, competed in California with the Trendsetter group, danced at his last Jr. Prom, completed an AWESOME Senior Project and now things are winding down...... I am proud of him for working hard to graduate, I am proud that he takes pride in his work. He is a hard worker and a majority of the time an all around good kid. I love him dearly and wish him the very best as he takes this new step in life. Even though he won't be very far away, I will miss him.

Quick Summary ~ August 2009 – December 2009

Well, it’s been awhile since I last blogged and I hate to leave off in July then jump to January 2010 so I am going to a very quick summary of happenin’ things going on in the Clark household.
August was filled with 4-H projects, hosting a Bridal Shower, and gearing up for school. The kids did very well at the fair this year. Macy took Grand Champion, Yay Macy!! Cameron, Kambrie, and Hallie all placed in the top 20. Kambrie won Reserve Showman, I was quite pleased as she improved each time she went into the show ring. (This meant she actually listened to the judge and corrected her mistakes, usually it goes in one ear and out the other.) Cameron also placed very well with Ag Project which was building a round pen. We were excited to have Hank’s dad and his wife Devon visit us from Minnesota, we took them into the fair and enjoyed spending time with them.

The rest of the month flew by and before you knew it school was in full swing again. Cameron is attending his Senior year at Declo, while Kambrie entered 7th grade at the Junior High, and I finally did my student teaching. YAY!!!! My student teaching assignment was at Albion Elementary teaching with Jan Hartwell grades 3rd – 5th.
September began with the usual trip up to Twin Lakes for a camp out and horseback riding. It’s the final camping trip of the season. It was a good trip all in all, only one minor incident, Cameron’s car was parked in the way of McKade and his four wheeler. Poor Kadee thought Cameron wouldn't be his buddy anymore.

During the month of September we lost a beloved grandmother. Hank’s grandma Reynolds passed away early in the month; it was hard to watch her struggle. I was honored to put together a slide show for her; she was a funny and loving lady and will be greatly missed.

On a more positive note in September my baby sister Marlea finally found the someone brave enough to put up with her. (JK) Marlea was married September 26th to Ted Rowley, they make a great couple. They had a beautiful wedding with lots of friends and family present.

Sports Notes: Kambrie enjoyed playing on the 7th grade volleyball and basketball teams. She is a good athlete and has a lot of potential. Cameron loved playing on the football team and even kicked a few extra points this year. Running to games kept us busy it was non-stop game going from September – November. The football team did well again this year with a couple of really close games. Declo scraped by Malad in a playoff game in double overtime. All in all Declo finished up 2nd again to Parma.

October…………… hmmmmm…..
All that stands out is Marlea’s reception in Albion which was very nice and Halloween. Nothing overly exciting. Oh, the boys annual hunting trip which they came back empty handed and it went by entirely too quickly. More football games and more volleyball games to run to. I have had a great time student teaching up in Albion. The 3rd graders sent out Flat Stanley’s and were eager to get them back. We sent them out to Meridian, ID Hyrum, UT Washington D.C. Gold Bluff, TN Jerome, ID Fort Collins, CO and Nephi, UT.

November ~
It was CRUNCH time my TWS was due at the end of the month. YIKES!! Pulled an all nighter to complete the dirty bugger can’t believe how the time flew by. During the month of November my 3rd graders memorized all 50 states and their capitols. They did excellent! Thanksgiving was a welcome break. Black Friday was not near as exciting as it has been in years past. Found a few treasures, nothing I had to get up that early for. :P

December ~ My baby girl turned 13 this on the 8th. She is such a giggle butt sometimes.

Kambrie is a fun girl to have in our home.
13 things I love about Kambrie
1. Her smile
2. Her laugh
3. Her big green eyes
4. Her sense of style
5. Her hugs
6. Her “I love you’s” before she goes to bed
7. Her energy
8. Her blondliness
9. Her kindness towards others
10. Her determination
11. Her sense of adventure

12. Her willingness to help at home whether it is inside with me or outside with her dad

13. Her ability to stand up for herself

The end is FINALLY here. I graduated from ISU with a Bachelors of Science in Education on December 9th 2009. I finished my student teaching on December 11th, it was a bittersweet day. Happy to be done, sad to leave. I went back the following week to wrap up the rest of the Flat Stanley projects, which all of our participants were AWESOME and sent information and wonderul prizes back for my students. I also went back to help with the Christmas program, the kids all performed well. It was great fun to watch.

Christmas break was nice; it was great to be home with Cameron & Kambrie through the break. We had a nice Christmas, other than Hank had to work Christmas day. We made a few adjustments we had dinner the night before and opened up our presents other than what Santa was going to leave. For Christmas I was excited to get a new camcorder that also works as a digital camera, I have had fun playing with it and trying to figure it out. We woke up early Christmas morning to see what Santa Claus had left, then Hank went to work and we went back to bed for a while. We went to moms for Christmas dinner, then I took some dinner over to Hank at work and visited with him for a little bit. The day after Christmas the kids & I went to Island Park with mom, dad, Mindy, Scott and kiddos. It was a nice ride on the snowmobiles. Also, during the break we have been working on cleaning out some unneeded junk and painting the basement.