Traces of Love

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautiful tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt form making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my nails from helping weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheek and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived. "
 Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Sister Hinckley knew what life was all about and so does my husband! Chris is such a hard worker. He wakes up at 5 every morning, plays with the baby, feeds him, gets ready for the day, puts the baby back to sleep and then goes to work. He usually comes home during lunch to eat but, most of the time he comes home to help a neighbor move, fix a car, fix a leak, give a blessing or to just spend more time with Jeremiah and I. He usually gets home around 4 or 5 and from the time he gets home until he goes to bed at night he is serving everyone around him. We all have choices to make and Chris chooses every day to show his Love for God and for others by working hard, serving willingly and giving freely.

While I was mending/cleaning Chris' work jeans this past week I found myself with tears streaming down my face. As I held his well worn pants in my hands I saw physical evidence of Chris' love for me. I know it sounds silly. I know that Chris loves me but, I was so touched when I looked at his tattered pants.

Here on this earth we are surrounded by traces of love in all forms. The Lord has left traces of his love for us here on the earth. What are the traces of your love?

Cougar Spirit

The weather has been quite beautiful here in Provo. I've been taking Jeremiah on walks around the newly re-landscaped outskirts of campus. It's been so pleasant to watch all the students start moving in and feeling the growing excitement as school is about to begin. I love being on campus when its busy and full of students. Although, BYU can be demanding it is a place where the spirit can be felt and where lessons both spiritual and temporal are learned.

A major hot/exciting conversation topic in our home is BYU football. This year is BYU's first year as an independent team. The BYU football program is unique in it's design. It is unlike any other program in the world and it always has been. Players abide by the honor code and work towards achieving the missions of BYU; they are clean, good, and upstanding young men. At BYU we will never have the issues that so many collegiate programs are being investigated for taking part in. Some question whether or not going independent was a good move for BYU but, I believe that the decision will bring BYU's unique program more publicity, creating a greater opportunity to share The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Last night Chris, Jeremiah and I went to meet the team. The entire practice field was crowded with energized and enthralled fans. As we wondered around watching little kids get their pictures taken with the cheerleaders, the dads buying jerseys, and families waiting in long lines waiting to see their football heros we were overcome by excitement and anticipation for the upcoming season. While we were there we were able to see Jake Heaps, Ross Apo and Kyle Van Noy. They are great young men and I was so impressed with their congenial charm.

I asked a couple of my friends from the football team to tell me about what they love about BYU football. I will add my quotes from them as they send them to me.

"BYU Football....Its a way for us as players to play to our highest potential, and as we have success and are more exposed to the Nation because of that success, we can share the Gospel with others...I love BYU football because its taught me things like hard-work, dedication, commitment, setting priorities, and the list continues to grow..."
-Water Kahaiali'i #71

The Clarks will always bleed blue and most definitely be sporting our BYU blue attire. :) We can't wait for the upcoming season!!! GO COUGS!

Back in the Swing of Things

It's been over 2 weeks since we've returned from China and we are still trying to kick our life back into gear. It's been tough getting back onto a normal schedule again.
Jeremiah has finally seemed to let go of his fear of us leaving him again; he now lets us enter another room without shrieks of terror. If there's one thing I've learned about babies it's been how forgiving they are. I can bonk his head, accidentally leave him in his crib for an hour after he's woken up from a nap, or forget to change his poopy diaper and he still loves me and greets me with a big "I love you mommy"-smile. There is something to be learned from these babes. They are truly a sweet little gift and they have so much to teach us.

Shortly after we had been home we realized that our house was not very "baby-proof". Our apartment floors were falling apart and since we have such an interesting landlord (bless his heart) there was no way we would ever get it fixed unless we did it ourselves.
So, here's what we did the week after we got home. TADA!!!
Now Jeremiah can cruise all he wants and I don't have to worry about what nasty pieces of old flooring he can put in his mouth.

Before                                                                             After






Chris recently celebrated his 28th Birthday. Boy am I glad he was born! Where would I be without him?
We had a simple stay at home celebration which was all he wanted after his hard day's work. But, that didn't sit well with my family so, we celebrated a tad bit more with them later in the week.

Jeremiah is cruisin' around all over the place now. He goes from room to room faster than I can turn around to see where he's going. He now stands up and walks from one piece of furniture to the next. Every once and a while he'll get daring and let go for a few seconds but then slowly lowers himself to the ground and realizes that for now he can get around faster by crawling. He babbles non-stop and tells us all kinds of stories...if only we could understand them. One of his new favorite things to do is hold onto the front of the entertainment center and dance (stomp) and sing (Bah bah La La Ba Wa) with whatever is playing on the TV. Jeremiah has developed such a sweet relationship with Chris. Whenever Chris gets home from work or comes through the front door Jeremiah jets straight toward him greeting him with smiles, giggles and high pitches squeels. Daddy then usually spends about an hour tickling and playing with Jeremiah. They are so fun to watch.


Here is a picture of happy Jeremiah just after I watched him finish eating a potato bug. He puts whatever he can find into his mouth and locks it shut whenever I try to take things out of it.





Jeremiah also enjoys the taste of fresh soil...mmm...Yummy!