Perkinites

Yes, It Must Be Some Kind of Miracle!

2012-01-14T12:27:00.001-07:00

It has been so long since we posted to this blog that most of you have stopped looking for updates. Sorry! Some good things that have happened to our family over the last year:

-Clay was called to the Elders Quorum Presidency, he still works for the best boss in town at San Juan Building Supply, and he does an amazing job taking care of our home and family
-Eva started Middle School, turned 12 and is now in Young Women's -Thomas is in 4th Grade, has discovered a love for reading (Thank-you JK Rowling), and is playing Youth Basketball
-Timothy is 4, goes to Pre-school, and has a Girlfriend named Lizzy, that he doesn't mind saying he loves (which Thomas thinks is gross and silly)
-I have lost 40 pounds! Yes 40 pounds over the last year, and I am working on trying to get the last 10 pounds to vacate the premises. I teach Zumba classes at the Wellness Center 4 days a week and I love it! I call it my Zumba "habit"

Our old computer crashed, so I don't have photos for this post, but I will try to have photos for my next post.

Canyonlands and Newspaper Rock

2010-07-11T21:33:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I took the kids to Canyonlands and Newspaper Rock. Clay was at work, and we got a late start, so we didn't do as much as we wanted to, but it was still really fun!!

Summer Fun #3

2010-07-08T11:49:00.003-06:00

We've been doing LOTS of reading this summer
Lots of WORK (the kids are sorting dirty clothes)
The kids also have been swimming at the pool A LOT but I don't have pictures of that because I send them when the Toddlers are taking their nap.

Nick Got Baptized!

2010-07-05T21:24:00.005-06:00

We are really proud of Nick. He recognized the truth of the Gospel almost as soon as he came to live with us. He was baptized by Elder Reeves from Logan Utah. His Mom and Dad and Grandparents came to witness the Special Day. Nick asked Grandpa Worthy to give the Talk on Baptism, which was perfect and truly brought the Spirit to the meeting. Nick asked Grandma Gail to give the talk on the Holy Ghost and was the proud recipient of one of her special handmade quilts. Since then he has come to recognize what it means to feel the Spirit. He even bore his testimony for the first time yesterday.

Summer Fun #2

2010-07-01T12:47:00.004-06:00

We go to the library every Friday to get our prizes for the Summer Reading program. We learned how to make a crystal garden in our summer reading packets. We had fun at the Dinosaur Museum in Blanding.

Summer Fun #1

2010-06-30T22:18:00.007-06:00

We have been busy busy busy in June. Here is a taste of what we have been doing this summer:

We took a day to visit every park in the fine city of Blanding (we have 4!). We've never done that before, have you? We also picked up trash at several of the parks that is why the kids have green gloves on. More to come soon..........!!

Birthdays and Other Stuff

2010-05-16T21:09:00.007-06:00

We have been busy learning how to be a family of 7, so I haven't had much time for blogging. This weekend we enjoyed a little family time at Cottonwood. Clay surprised me for my Birthday (a month ago) with my "dream bed" I am a lucky woman!!

Time? Who has Time?

2010-03-08T12:44:00.006-07:00

Thomas & Timothy
Eva has discovered that washable markers make cool colored highlights
Nick & Laina our newest kids
What Clay looks like when Mom leaves him alone with the kids for a few days

Time, since becoming a Mother of 5 overnight, I have completely lost my ability to manage time! How did my Mother do it with 6?!!! I can't seem to get anything done, or when I do get something done, it is undone by my 2 babies in the next half second! Poor Clay is feeling extremely overwhelmed. We have had our 2 foster kids since the second week of January, and during that time I have had to go out of town twice for work. He handled my first trip fairly well, but the second trip pushed him over the edge as both foster kids were sick and throwing up all night the whole time I was gone. He is an amazing man. I still can't figure out how I was lucky enough to catch him! In a few weeks I have to go out of town again and I am trying to minimize the impact it will have on him as much as possible. My big work project is getting close to being rolled out. We had training for the new Point of Sale system last week for my team, and we (which really means me) are getting ready to train the rest of the state. There will be a bit of a learning curve for all of us, but it should make our lives easier in the long run.

Our Latest....

2009-12-04T20:13:00.005-07:00

New Family Pictures:

We adopted a stray, then found its owner, and thought we would lose her, but all ended well. Here is Tina:

What do you do with a Broken Arm?

2009-10-25T19:29:00.007-06:00

Why, show it off of course! A couple of weeks ago Timothy broke his arm in the most boring way: he fell while playing. It wasn't a major fall, it was quite routine, so it took us about an hour to really discover that it was broken. We took full advantage of our new hospital and were in and out in less than an hour. Now he loves to play the sympathy card and prominently display his splint while saying in his most pitiful voice, "I broke my arm"

Too cute picture of Joaquin and Timothy from this summer

The kids had fun playing in the mass of leaves at the church on Main Street

Our new addition (what do you do when your husbands INCREDIBLE boss asks you to take a kitten off his hands? You say yes of course!!) His name is Shez -sound familiar Glovers?

Clay has some serious roofing skills (so do Dad and Worthy) re-roofing Mom and Dad's roof

Priceless Memories

2009-08-29T15:08:00.002-06:00

A couple weeks ago Eva and I took a wonderful trip to Cedar City to attend "The Secret Garden" at the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Where are the pictures, you ask? Of course I forgot to take a camera, my children's lives are woefully represented in pictures. We left early Wednesday morning August 12. We had to slow almost to a stop as a deer decided to slowly walk across the road in front of us. Then a little later in the trip we had a crow fly really close to our windshield. I told Eva that if we had hit the crow, our trip would be over. After I answered her question about why it would be over she calmly said,"Yeah, but that wouldn't happen because I said a prayer." Oh the faith she has! Then about halfway there the prettiest little bird flew under us and with a whirl of feathers disintegrated. How sad.
We got to Cedar City with plenty of time to spare before our 2 pm matinee, so we did a little shopping and ate lunch. Eva didn't know what to think when I kept letting her make the choices, she kept saying, "What do you want to do?", or "What do you want to eat?"
The musical was marvelous, we had great seats thanks to our friend Kami (the Marketing Director of the Festival). They even gave Eva a pillow to sit on so she could see over the people in front of us. (What a nice touch)!
After the musical, we went and checked into our motel (The Crystal Inn) and Eva got to take a quick swim before we headed to our friends (Ryan and Kami's) house for dinner Yummy! We really enjoyed our visit with them and then headed back to the motel pool for a few more hours of fun.
The trip home was fairly uneventful except for the freak rain/hailstorm through the part of the interstate with numerous signs that read: "Slippery when wet".
We had such a great time we might need to make it an annual summer tradition!

Baptisms

2009-08-19T20:25:00.001-06:00

Mark your calendars for Saturday September 19th at 5. We are plannng to baptize Thomas and little Worthy then! Can you believe they are almost 8?

We Did It!!!

2009-07-04T17:10:00.003-06:00

Today was the 10th Annual 5k Fun Run. Nancy & I (and her Sisters) woke up bright and early to participate. I am so appreciative of Nancy for running it with me. It was a goal I set 3 months ago, and it was nice to reach it with her. I also appreciate her humoring me the last 50 meters as we sprinted to the finish line.

Hope you all had a great 4th of July!!!

Broccoli Anyone?

2009-06-26T12:48:00.002-06:00

I have been trying to eat better, more vegetables, less sweets, you know that kind of thing. In turn, I am trying to help my kids be healthier too which isn't too hard because they usually like to eat whatever I eat. But holy cow! Do you know how expensive fresh produce is? For one head of broccoli it was over $5 dollars! No wonder America is so obese! Let's see for five bucks I can get a burger, fries, and soda, or one head of broccoli...hmmm......So many great things about living in Blanding, buying fresh inexpensive produce -- not one of them. Oh well!

I Miss My Sweetie!

2009-06-12T20:03:00.002-06:00

Clay is on the mountain camping with the Young Men (his new calling is 2nd Counselor in the Young Men) he is also still one of the Gospel Doctrine Teachers.
I am glad that he accepts and fulfills all his callings without complaint. I really need to learn from his example.
I just hate having an empty bed! I know it is only for a few nights, but I really miss his presence in our home.
I am grateful for the blessings of an eternal marriage, I am so thankful to know that we will be together forever. This is especially comforting in light of recent events in our community (see Nan's blog for more info).

Babies Heal Fast!

2009-05-05T21:41:00.003-06:00

One week later, and he looks so good! Chrislynn hang in there, yours will heal fast too!

Not our Best Day

2009-04-29T12:12:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a LOOOOOOONG day. We spent part of the morning at a viewing (Clay's Grandma Perkins passed away) the afternoon at a funeral and graveside dedication, and the afternoon and evening at the clinic and hospital.

It was cold at the cemetery so after all the official stuff was done, I took Thomas and Timothy to the truck so they could be out of the cold and watch movies. For some dumb reason the sprinklers were on, so Eva and I were racing to avoid the water, and as Eva opened the back door, Timothy fell out onto the pavement. I initially thought that Eva was the hurt one because she was crazy screaming, but as I listened to her shouting that she had given Timothy brain damage, I realized Timothy was the one in trouble. Brad was quick-thinking enough to grab a diaper for me to hold on Tim's head as we rushed to the clinic. Eva kept crying about it being her fault, and chastised Thomas for not holding on to Timothy. We kept reassuring them that it was all right, but when we got to the clinic and they saw how much blood there was they were both freaking out. Thank goodness at that moment Hollie came back to where we were and offered to take Eva and Thomas to the Family dinner. So Timothy ended up needing 3 stitches to close 2 wounds, and we had to take him to Monticello Hospital for a CT Scan to make sure he didn't have a cracked skull, or swelling of the brain. The fact that we haven't heard back on the scan tells us that it must have been okay, and Tim had been acting fine. I am thankful for my Dad and my Husband. They gave Timothy a Priesthood Blessing, and I know it made all the difference. I am so grateful for extended family. I did not have the ability to take care of Eva and Thomas emotionally yesterday. They needed the love and support of all of our Family so they could deal with the trauma. I am grateful this happened when Clay was with me. I don't think I could have handled it on my own. In fact, Timothy loves his Dad so much, he didn't want me during the clinic/hospital ordeal, he wanted his Daddy. Thanks to all the family who helped us through our first emergency ordeal.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2009-04-20T14:02:00.002-06:00

In celebration of another great year of life, I wanted to share some things that make me happy!

CRUISE:

-Finally dancing with my husband

-No kids to worry about for over a week!

-Great friends and family that willing watched above mentioned kids

-Having something big to motivate me to lose 20 lbs (and over 24 inches)

-Celebrating 11 wonderful years of marriage in a tropical paradise

-Seeing my brother Drew the most relaxed I have EVER seen him!

-Doing karaoke for the first time

-Someone else being in charge of the cooking and cleaning for over a week

-Spending quality time with my extended family

HOME:

-A great home to live in with awesome neighbors

-Working out-it makes me feel and look younger

-Serving in the Primary -- I love those kids!

-A testimony of the Gospel

-Living close to so much family

-Great books to read

-My family

There is so much more, but this is enough for now. What are you grateful for?

Clay

2009-03-14T11:14:00.002-06:00

Recently my Mother and Sister Nan shared on their blogs how great their lives are because of their husbands and it really made me think of how blessed I am.
The other day I detailed how my life has improved because of my wonderful husband. As I shared with my friend how he has calmed me and made me a better person, my friend's eyes filled with tears. Clay is a great Husband and Father and an asset to our community. He has shown dedication to his boss by being an honest, courteous, helpful, knowledgeable employee. He has worked for Stan for 12 years! People tell me all the time that they don't like to shop at San Juan Building Supply if Clay isn't there. Clay honors his priesthood and accepts and fulfills his church callings. Clay doesn't criticise me or belittle me he treats me with love and respect, even when I don't do the same. We are going on a cruise in a week, not because it was something my husband wanted to do, but because he knew it would make me happy to take a vacation with my best friend/family. I could go on and on but I won't. Happy Anniversary early my love, here's to another wonderful 11 years!

I've Got Skills

2009-02-12T09:03:00.002-07:00

The other day Thomas and Eva and I had an interesting conversation. Thomas said to Eva "I'm a better climber than you even though you're older than me". "Well Thomas" I said, "we all have different things that we are good at. You are good at climbing and Eva is a good reader". Thomas thoughtfully replied, "So I have climbing skills and Eva has reading skills, you have exercise skills and Dad has work skills." Yeah Thomas (Napolean) we've got skills.

Meet our New Additions

2009-01-24T13:18:00.003-07:00

Our neighbor came by to congratulate us and said, "I didn't know you were expecting!" after seeing this parked in our driveway:

I don't really know all the details about the truck, but I think it is great! We all fit in it! Clay brought it home last week and tried to convince me that he had made a deal to buy it, and I could not stop him. I knew he was lying because he won't even spend $5 dollars without asking me if it is okay. I told him I was sorry, but his truck would have to wait until next year because we were spending our money on a cruise this year not a truck. Then he confessed that it is a company truck, but his boss told him to use it like he uses his own truck. I jumped up and down and kept yelling: "You're lying to me!" But he wasn't.

Below is a picture of my new addition -- not as exciting as Clay's but a happy thing at least. I wanted something to work my abs better, and needed something to do pull-ups. Since Clay started working out too, he needed something for pull-ups too so we decided to get this. It was actually pretty inexpensive and had free shipping from Amazon. We really like it.

Check it out!

2009-01-17T14:20:00.002-07:00

Inspired by Nancy and Richie, I have started my own fitness blog. You can view it by clicking the link to the right titled Kd's Fitness Blog, or click this link: http://kd-did-it.blogspot.com Enjoy!

The Whole Enchilada

2009-01-16T19:21:00.002-07:00

(what does that really mean anyway?) In large part because of Nancy's fine example, I started working out again in November. I really tried, but sometimes I would put off my entire week's worth of workouts until Friday and Saturday, and as for diet -- what diet? I just didn't have the motivation I needed to really GO-FOR-IT. After a month I felt really good about my workouts, I had been more consistent and felt like I had made some positive changes. I took my measurements and.........nothing had changed!! I was so discouraged, that I basically took the entire month of December off. I was really bad, I ate way too much junk, and avoided working out. Then I took 2 weeks off work to be with the kids over Christmas break. I had the time to workout, so I researched some good workouts on bodybuilding.com and started working out. Then I sat down and really hashed out what goals I wanted to accomplish, how I was going to achieve those goals, and what "Transforming Patterns of Action" I needed to change to be successful. I typed these up and placed them in highly visible locations throughout my house. A huge motivating factor for sure is our upcoming cruise -- I have got to be "swimsuit ready"! Focusing on my end goals has made it easier for me to stick to the Body-for-Life eating plan, and not "cheat" (except 1 day a week as outlined). After 2 weeks of consistent workouts, and clean eating I took my measurements and...........Lost 5 pounds and almost 9 total inches!! This versus my experience in November reminds me that I have to go for the "whole enchilada" I can't just do things half-way and expect results. I am at the end of another successful week-(week 3) of my 12 week transformation and I feel great! I have muscles where I have never had muscles before, and my energy is through the roof!

Timothy & Thomas were tagged

2008-11-13T17:52:00.002-07:00

7 random things about Timothy:

Lately I think it is funny to hit, but I know it is wrong, so after I hit my Mom, I cuddle into her because I know she will forgive me if I'm sweet
I love it when Eva and Thomas get home from school, I love to run and meet them at the back door.
I wish Eva and Thomas would let me play with them more, but they say I am a nuisance, and usually bring me back upstairs to make Mom watch me.
I am really good at throwing fits. I like to jump up and down and throw myself on the ground with some good screaming and crying mixed in.
I am a true Perkins -- what does that mean? It means I am really good at making weird faces (like my Dad). Plus, I looovve it when my Dad gets home!
I am a very trusting and loving kid. I will let anyone watch me, or hold me. My daycare Mommy says I am so easy to take care of, she wishes the other kids were like me; and at church I have another family that takes care of me during Sacrament (they bring books, treats, and toys for me) their kids are all teenagers, but they love me and I love them.
I like to cuddle. I have my Mom wrapped around my finger, all I have to do is ask her to hold me and she melts.

7 random facts about Thomas:

I am very artistic and creative. I make cool things with Legos, draw neat pictures, and can build things
I am very helpful with yardwork and home improvement.
I cry a lot (I get that from my Mom) but I am sensitive to other peoples feelings
I am very good at math
My mouth is almost always full of canker sores, and the Doctors don't know why. It is really frustrating and painful.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE candy (or anything sweet that is not healthy for me).
I am not a morning person. I would sleep until 10 if they would let me.

Obamanation

2008-11-07T19:44:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3_95F5e-Ac&feature=dir

For Nancy and all those who voted for OBAMA.

Eva was tagged

2008-11-05T19:12:00.003-07:00

Seven random facts about Eva

I love to read
I like Webkins
I love my brothers
I do weird things with my fingers (like my Mom and Grandma Gail)
I like to makup wierd words like aunger-skongers
I like school
I have a new toilet in my bathroom

Bullies and Black Eyes

2008-10-15T17:19:00.006-06:00

When your child comes home with a black eye, you start to worry about bullies. When your child tells you a rambling incoherent story about how he came-by this black eye you realize (once again) that your son is his own bully/his own worst nightmare. Seriously!

Fun with Eva's hair

Kids at Four Corners Monument

Hovenweep National Monument (Thomas took this picture!)

Hovenweep National Monument (Eva took this picture!)

Million-dollar Mom

2008-10-10T15:11:00.004-06:00

For all you ladies out there who have a hard time fitting in a workout, this is for you!

Years ago when I did my first Body-for-Life Challenge, there was an AWESOME magizine called Energy for Women. It was a fitness magazine unlike the rest. The cover always showed a healthy fit woman (rather than an imaciated model that most of us could never look like). It set a higher standard of fitness, and only allowed advertising from proven healthcare companies. You knew you could trust what was in the magazine from articles to advertising. When Bill Phillips, founder of Body-for-Life sold his supplement company EAS, (which was the parent company of Energy for Women) the new owner stopped publishing the magazine:(

I loved many of the workouts from the magazine, so I cut them out and kept them in a binder. When Nancy asked if anyone knew of some effective, quick workouts, I found my binder and looked through it, so here is "Million-dollar Mom" from Energy for Women (forgive the poor quality of the photos, my scanner is horrible!)

"You're up and running from the minute your youngest child hurdles himself/herself onto your bed in the morning, until the second your dog demands one last round in the backyard at night. Your daily life is a triathlon. Still, lifting children, carrying groceries and running around does not seem to provide the strength and energy you need.

YOUR GOAL: To increase energy, stamina and strength for your daily tasks without spending long hours in the gym.

YOUR WORKOUT: For maximum results in minimum time, choose compound exercises -- those that challenge more than one muscle at a time, recommends Frank Mikulka, a personal trainer at Long Island's Hollywood Atrium. And "superset" exercise pairs -- alternating between sets of two different exercises rather than resting between sets of one. Mikulka suggests focusing on core and upper body strength to help ease the load (literally) of your daily chores. Try this routine

8 STABILITY BALL SQUAT-TO-LATERAL ARM RAISES:

Place a stability ball between your back and the wall. Squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Hold while doing 10 lateral arm raises. Do three sets of 10 arm reps each.

9 PUSH-UPS/TRICEPS CHAIR DIPS:

Do a set of standard push-ups. Follow with a set of triceps dips off a chair or bench. Do three sets of each, alternating between sets of five to 10 push-ups, and 10 to 15 triceps dips.

10 BACK ROWS/STANDING BICEPS CURLS:

Do a set of back rows, followed by a set of standing biceps curls. Do three sets, 10 to 15 reps each

11 CALVE RAISES-TO-SHOULDER PRESSES:

Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Do a calve raise. Immediately raise arms and go into a shoulder press. Do three sets, 10 to 20 reps each.

Debbie E Mandel, who runs mind/body workshops in New York and is the author of Turn on Your Inner Light: Recipes for Health, Happiness and Fitness, suggests incorporating muscle challenges into your daily routine. Do calve raises while waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store, for example, and rear leg lifts while pushing a stroller." --Energy For Women Jan/Feb 03

Hope some of you find this helpful!

Nancy Inspires Me

2008-10-04T15:03:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I need a little outside motivation to help me carry through on promises I make to myself. A few months ago, this motivation came from my Sister-in-law Kim and her Walking Blog. Thanks Kim! More recently my motivation/inspiration was from my other Sis-in-law Nancy. When I saw her fitness blog it was what I needed to get serious about setting and achieving my fitness goals. For 2 weeks now I have been lifting weights and running. I enjoyed having Nancy home over the weekend because we were able to talk fitness together (which helped keep me motivated). I have not been perfect, I still have a hard time staying faithful to my diet, and procrastinating workouts has meant that some days I have done cardio and weights on the same day, but I AM moving forward!
Some things that have helped me: Each night I try to journal how my day went. I write down what things I did well and what I need to work on. I write down what I ate (which helps me be honest with myself, this is where I really struggle to be good). Then I plan the next day: What I will eat, when I will workout, and small goals for the day. (Some nights I have to journal for several days--like I said, I am not perfect!)
I have been focusing on my small victories: Doing abs daily, taking my vitamins daily, drinking enough water. I celebrate these small victories because I know that they are all steps in the right direction.
Several years ago I had the pleasure of a "workout buddy" she became my best friend, my other sister. In the time we worked out together I never missed a workout because I knew she was counting on me to be there. Her dedication helped me be dedicated. When she married Tim and moved away I lost my motivation and stopped working out. I miss you Nancy! I finally found another "workout buddy"--Eva. She has agreed to help keep me encouraged to get up in the morning and go running. She needs the one-on-one time with me, and I need her forcing me out of bed when I just want to sleep.
Nancy, keep up your fitness blog, keep working out. I will be your "virtual workout buddy" when you need motivated. Thank-you for inspiring me!

Thomas is Seven!

2008-09-24T20:14:00.005-06:00

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Thomas' 7th birthday! He had a Sponge-bob party that was lots of fun. Eva got him his first MP3 player. It is funny how grown-up he seems walking around with it. I didn't know what kind of music to put on it, so my Sister-in-law Brenda suggested we put Brian Regan the comedian on it. Great suggestion! I put music on that I thought he might like, but every time I can hear his MP3 player it is Brian Regan that he is listening to. The week of Thomas's birthday was his all about me week. He is really into planes right now, so we made his poster in the shape of a plane. We thought it was pretty cool.

We call Timothy the Nightmare Boy because lately he is getting into everything! He looks at you with a wicked gleam in his eye and then does something bad like throw something hard at you, or run away from you when you are trying to change his poopy diaper. He loves to drive Eva and Thomas crazy. He definitely has the annoying little brother thing figured out.

Timothy loves to put on Thomas's bike helmet and walk around with it weighing his head down.

Eva is enjoying the after school program at the museum (where I work). It is called Art-n-Facts (like artifacts) and they learn all sorts of cool cultural things. She stresses out over math at school, but is doing well otherwise.

I have been inspired by Nancy and have set my 12 week goals, and have started working out again. Thanks Nancy!

10 years and other nonsense

2008-08-27T20:11:00.002-06:00

It's official, I have worked at Edge of the Cedars for 10 years now as the Museum Store Manager. At times I have questioned if my loyalty has been rewarded or recognized, but the honest reality is what other employer would let you work a flexible work-week under 30 hours, and still give you full benefits? None in Blanding, that is for sure. I recently ran some sales figures for my region manager to determine if our decline in visitation has lead to a decline in sales. While I have experienced a 10-20 % decline in visitation, I have actually produced a 20% or more increase in sales! Of course, the true test of how well you are doing is sales per visitor. For my industry (museum stores) we strive for an average of $2.00 per visitor. Well for the first half of the year my average sales per visitor was nearly $5.00 per visitor! It is rewarding to see the effects of my hard work in a concrete way like that.

Because I Passionately Love My Wife and Would Do Anything for Her

2008-07-21T22:23:00.007-06:00

It's Claydar's turn to Post!!

Kd and the kids went to Lake Powell with Nan and Britt on Friday. Of course I got left home alone. There was no food, no TV, and my Xbox was broken. So there I was alone, hungry, bored and a little scared. Hmmm Canyon Country is just down the street. I should go get some food! So I go and get a Valencia Orange juice and a bag of Carmel popcorn. That was my dinner. Obviously I'm not gifted in the art of making important decisions at critical times. I get home and realize that I'm still going to be hungry so I nuke some delicious pizza pockets and sit down to watch season 3 of Battle Star Gallactica. I sat there for3 hours and watched like 4 episodes. I then went to bed and read an Orson Scott Card novel for 2 more hours until 2:30 am at which point I decided that I should go to sleep. Needless to say I 'm still trying to catch up.

Kd and the kids had a great time at the lake. I'll defer to her to give the details....maybe on her next post.

My garden is doing well. I have some tomatoes, corn, peas and squash. The weeds are somewhat under control and most of the plants are alive. I've been able to cut my mowing time down to just under 1 hour a week not including edging and I'm loving the sprinkler system. Our new yard is great and I'm really enjoying the process of taking care of it. I just wish I didn't suffer from allergies.

Our cherry tree produced tons of fruit and it turns out that they are pretty good. I was worried that they were going to be not so sweet pie cherries, but they are actually pretty good. The only draw back to the cherry tree is the constant sticky floor from tracked in cherries.

Timothy is a full fledged walker now. He gets so happy and loves his new skills. It's crazy to see such a tiny boy walking and running around. His first word was "Eva". He now can say "Eye" while jabbing his little finger into your eye socket, and he's learning to imitate a lot of actions and sounds. It's so fun to watch my kids grow. I love them so much.

Now about the title. I asked Kd for suggestions on what to post. The Title is her suggestion. Honestly...What would I be without Kd? Where would I be? I can't imagine life without her. I love my kids so much and would do anything for them. Without Kd I wouldn't have the kids that I have. She completes my life. I love her so much.

She will read this in the morning and think, "yeah...I told him to write that," or "whatever!" Kd it's true I do love you and I missed you when you went to Lake Powell. I know it was only one night but I was sad, and hungry, and really bored. Most of all I was so glad to see you and the children come home ( the CHILDREN...).

Here's a few more pictures for your viewing pleasure......

Kd likes to have he picture taken

Thomas smiles

Sun Bathing Cousins

Timothy looks on

At Cottonwood wash

Fully Converted

2008-07-08T21:11:00.002-06:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, what a testimony of the gospel is, and how important it is to be truly converted. I know many people who claim membership in the LDS church, and belive it to be true, yet they choose not to live the gospel to the fullest. I have been there myself, whether it be not paying a full tithe, not going to all your Sunday meetings, or other things that keep us from being "fully converted". In the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is not enough to just "believe" the church is true. We must start with, faith, then show our obedience by acting on that faith. As members of the church we truly believe that, "faith without works is dead". It is so important to have a testimony as a starting point for the gospel. I know this church is true, and that it is lead by a righteous prophet. I know that Joseph Smith truly did see Heavenly Father and Jesus, and that he is a true prophet who restored the true church on the earth. I know that Jesus lives, and that he died for my sins, so that I can return to live with him again if I choose to live worthy and repent of my wrongs. That is my testimony. I act on my testimony by living a clean life and fully participating in all my church meetings and accepting and performing my church callings. I attend the Temple at least once a month if not weekly. I do not make excuses for my failings. I am not perfect, but I act on what I believe. That is what it means to be fully converted. My testimony of the gospel is the driving force in my life and that is why I am who I am, and why my life is blessed. I am grateful for righteous examples in my life that have helped me make wise choices and fully live the gospel.

Night Games

2008-07-01T19:15:00.003-06:00

The other night we introduced our children to "Night Games". It has been so long since Clay & I played, that we did not really know the correct rules or names for the games, but it was a blast anyway! My favorite parts of the night were when Eva hid so well (at sardines) that we all took a long time to find her; and when Clay came running around the house so insanely, that I could not catch him because I was laughing so hard!

Our cherry tree is overflowing with fruit, so come by and pick as much as you want. There is something magical about eating something you picked off a tree.

Woo Hoo!

2008-06-25T21:22:00.002-06:00

In April I wrote my first ever grant. It was for funding to implement a Safe Routing Plan for our Elementary School. I served as the President last year for the School Community Council, and as a board, we were able to complete the Safe Routing Plan that should have been done years earlier. I got the grant done, but procrastinated getting it signed, then couldn't find the last person that needed to sign it. The day I needed to mail it I had to go to Dead Horse Point State Park to help out, so I recruited Clay to get the signature, and overnight the grant to Salt Lake. After numerous emails and phone messages that went unanswered, I figured that I was not going to get the funding. Yay, I was wrong! I was notified by email that not only was my project funded, but it scored the highest out of the 20 applications they received! I am so happy! I keep realizing how much like my Mother I am as time goes on. I am grateful for the good education she gave me, and the example of intelligence and success that she is to me. Wow, my first grant got funded, pretty cool eh?!

What do you get when you cross Napolean Dynamite with Hot Rod?

2008-06-03T08:35:00.002-06:00

Well, Thomas of course! The other day I overheard Thomas telling Eva he needed to find some "sweet" jumps to take his bike on. He then said he needed to find some big dirt hills to take his bike down too. Thomas crashes in the driveway when there is no good reason for him to crash, so jumps? Not such a good idea.

Man I hate May!

2008-05-20T17:33:00.002-06:00

Okay, okay maybe hate is a strong word, but seriously May is crazy for me! At work we have multiple tour groups scheduled for nearly every day in May and my kids have school field trips the entire month too! Oh and I forgot to mention that the first weekend in May is always our Four Corners Indian Art Market that I really do hate with a passion because it is so much work to put together and to deal with. Otherwise life is good! Timothy is finally getting a few teeth, he is 1 month shy of being 1 year old! He is trying to learn to walk, and he is into everything! Eva has bronzed up so much that she says she thinks she was adopted, and wishes there was a way to un-tan her skin so she could look like the rest of the family. Thomas hasn't majorly hurt himself lately which is quite a feat! Anyway, May is almost over, yeah!!

Happy Big 10!

2008-04-13T18:34:00.002-06:00

Almost 2 weeks ago Clay and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary. How did we celebrate it you ask? Pretty much the same way we have celebrated all our anniversaries, by collectively forgetting that it was our anniversary until later that night. This is a testament to the fact that we don't need a special day to treat each other with love and respect. I am so grateful for all that Clay does for me on a daily basis. He is a wonderful husband and a great provider.I am blessed with 3 awesome children thanks to Clay. He has made the last 10 years of my life the best yet. Clay I love you forever!

Spring Break 08

2008-03-25T19:44:00.012-06:00

We had so much fun last week, we needed a little time to recover before we were ready to post. We left Sunday at about 1:00 to Drive to Denver. The drive should take about 7 hours, but we hit snow as we went over the mountain pass. Needless to say between slick roads, too much traffic, and not being able to tell where our lane was, it took us an extra hour and a half to get there. The kids all handled it quite well, so as a reward we let them go swimming at 10:00 at night (our motel pool was open from 6 am to 11 pm)! The next morning the kids went swimming first thing (of course) and then we went to Hammond's Candies http://www.hammondscandies.com/for a factory tour. They are one of the only candy factories that still make their candy the old fashioned way (by hand). It was really cool watching them roll out tubes of candy, cut them and twist them into candy canes. We enjoyed watching ribbon candy being made, and we really loved the free samples, yum! The tour ended in the gift shop and we indulged our children by letting them fill their own shopping baskets with delicious treats (later in the trip Eva complained that the simple sight of candy was making her sick). Next we went to the Children's Museum http://www.cmdenver.org/. It was a fun enough museum, but there were at least 3 school groups there in addition to a large number of regular visitors, so the kids had to wait at every exhibit to get to play. Eva loved the grocery store/restaurant exhibit, and Thomas loved the train exhibit. We ate lunch at their restaurant and it was quite good. Clay had a Wasabi Roast Beef Sandwich, and I had a mozzarella pesto sandwich that reminded me of Grimaldi's because the cheese was so fresh.Our next stop was the Aquarium, Clay's favorite. http://www.aquariumrestaurants.com/downtownaquariumdenver/flash_content/index.html Thomas got scared at the flash flood exhibit (like Eva did when we went there several years back), but we all enjoyed seeing all the different kinds of fish, the tigers, and petting the manta rays. We finished our day by going swimming and ordering pizza. We stayed up way too late, so the next morning we slept in, and then made our way to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science http://www.dmns.org/main/en/ There was so much to see there! Clay loved the space exhibits, especially the life size model of the Mars Rover. Thomas loved the Dinosaurs. Eva said she loved it all. I enjoyed the butterfly collection and the hall of gems and minerals, and the mummies. I did not think about the fact that mummies are dead bodies, but I was reminded of it when Thomas pointed at it and said, "Sick!" He then asked if we could leave the room because it was making him "kind of sick". Eva approached the whole subject with scientific curiosity I was quite proud of her. We had lunch in the museum cafeteria and it was quite good (any food outside of Blanding is quite good though). We traveled less than a block to visit the Denver Zoo http://www.denverzoo.org/ We had a lot of fun at the zoo seeing so many different kinds of animals. We enjoyed the Sea Lion show, we had fun riding the little zoo train, but the kids were absolutely ecstatic over the carousel ride. The last time we tried to get them on a carousel was when we went to Lagoon with Richie's family, and Richie's Mother tried to take Eva and she screamed and cried (Thomas was not born yet). It is funny how something so simple was so fun. We ended the night with dinner at the Olive Garden -delicious! and swimming, even Timothy got in the water for a little while. Our final day included one last swim, and then -- finally -- the whole reason for the trip -- The Butterfly Pavilion! http://butterflies.org/ I love butterflies and the Pavilion is a great way to enjoy them. As we walked in we watched a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis, then we each had the pleasure of having multiple butterflies land on us, and finally as we were getting ready to leave I saw a Magnificent Owl in flight they are my favorite because they are brilliant blue on one side and ugly brown on the other. Eva got freaked out and thought we left her (even though we were less than 20 feet from where she was playing) so she left hr brother, and went to the office and told them we were lost. Thank goodness that was our only experience of "losing" our kids on the trip. Oh, and both kids held a tarantula! Thomas who has been mortally terrified of spiders his whole life, was like, "sure I'll hold a tarantula" and then he held it twice because I did not get a picture of him the first time! The trip home was horrible, as we experienced rush-hour-like traffic in the middle of nowhere and it took us 2 hours to drive 5 miles! Ugh! Anyway, we survived Spring Break 2008.

Thomas likes it! He really, really likes it!

2008-03-11T21:20:00.003-06:00

Thomas has got to be the most finicky eater in the entire world (after Isaac of course). That just does not work in our house because we are a family that likes to try new foods. We finally got to the point that if he did not eat dinner, he could not have anything else to eat at night. I guess he got tired of being hungry. We still have nights where it is a battle to get him to eat, but I feel we are making progress. Anyway, I know it is silly, but I am posting because Thomas has finally discovered the joy of artichokes! And, to totally change the subject, he has finally figured out how to ride his bike, or should I say how to brake his bike without jumping off of it. Life is good!

We have a new way to get hurt at our house!!

2008-03-08T20:09:00.006-07:00

Well Kd has finally talked me into getting a trampoline. In its "Bad Idea if you have Children Category", the National Federation of Yard Safety, ranks the trampoline one point under "Rabid Dog", and one point over "Lawn Darts". I've set the thing up and the kids and even Kd has been able to try it out. I still need to make it a little safer by adding the safety barrier. Actually I think I am biased against trampolines. I almost broke my neck once while frolicking merrily on my best freinds trampoline.

Sorry about this but I am going to post another Time Lapse video.

The kids were so excited that they actually got their rooms clean. You can also see how eager they were to help in the assembly process. If you pay attention at the end you will see that I was really struggling to figure out how to secure the blue skirt. Anyway hope you enjoy.

Here are some random pictures:

Timothy loves to climb!

Eva and Thomas, Not Fighting (a rare thing indeed)

Timothy decided to go under the table

Coolest guy around

I like cheese

Vacuuming the living room

2008-03-01T17:35:00.003-07:00

Just having fun w/ the new computer

Notice how Timmers is following me around at the end.

Eva's new Doggie

2008-02-24T16:22:00.003-07:00

Eva has been bugging me for 3 days to let her "post" so here it is!

I was in my parents room with Timothy, when I found a white scarf. I thought what should I do with this? Well this is what I thought of: Timothy can be my new puppy! So I put the scarf on Timothy,like a puppy(around his chest, so he woulden't choke, of coarse!) I walked him around the house a couple of times, I tried to keep him out of the bathroom, but all he wanted was to be with Mom! On Saturday night we had Patio for dinner, Timothy was on all fours, begging like a real dog.And thats the end of my story.
Written and typed by Eva

My bag of tricks

2008-02-22T22:20:00.003-07:00

So FOREVER ago Amelia tagged me, and I am just getting around to it. I love bags! So I don't mind being tagged about what is in mine! I do not just have one bag that I regularly use. I took a picture of my diaper bag and what is in it, since it is used the most. Back to the I love bags statement. Seriously, I do. Right before Amelia tagged me I bought my current diaper bag on e-bay. It is awesome! It is a "Men's" diaper bag by "The Mustard Sprout" it retails for about $90 (I did not pay anywhere near that ridiculous price)and it has all sorts of cool storage including a cell phone/mp3 player pocket on the strap. My justification for buying it was that Clay neede a bag he wouldn't mind carrying, but it is really mine.

Heres what is in my bag: My Bebe' au Late' that lets me nurse in public discreetly. 3 baby spoons(why 3?), infant tylenol, 2 pens and a pencil, aloe vera hand lotion, first aid kit, bag for dirty clothes, portable changing pad, tithing slips, Ensign, Primary Program for the year, Primary book for my calling in the Presidency, Timothy's mittens, Zwieback toast, carabeener, diaper, wipes, A&D ointment, Luna bar, disinfecting hand gel, CEU pen on a chain (Go Eagles!), lip gloss, 2 things of carmex, tin of Lake Powell mints, Extra gum, sticky notes.

I Love Clay!!

2008-02-20T19:04:00.002-07:00

Last week my laptop crashed, so that has been my excuse for not updating our blog. I do have a "normal" computer downstairs, but heaven forbid I go down and use it!! Since we chose not to have TV, our computer is our lifeline to the world, so Clay decided to "surprise" me with a new laptop. If anyone knows me, they know I love surprises, but....I am not very patient, and I have a way of finding things out. In this case, Clay couldn't bring himself to spend that kind of money without my input, so we both decided on it together. We ordered it from Dell last Tuesday and it was delivered today! It is awesome, but taking some getting used to (Vista urg!) Life is good, last week Timothy slept through the night 2 nights in a row! Eva and Thomas are both doing very well in school and we are grateful that they have teachers that challenge them instead of ignoring their bright intellects. Both of them are scoring off the charts on their mothly tests. Clay and I have been painting like crazy so that we can move back into our master bedroom. I will take pictures when we are done. I love this house, life is good, I love Clay!

Been Tagged Muaght

2008-01-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Richie. I'll do this today since I'm off work and doing nothing else. I should be texturing walls in our bedroom or cleaning but this is far more important.

10 Years ago today (Jan 1998)

I had been home from my mission for 2 years. I had been working for Stan Hurst for almost 1 year and I was 2 months away from getting married to Kd. I wouldn't have thought that in 10 years I would have 3 beautiful children a home and be living in 6th ward.

5 things on my to-do list today:

1) Laundry

2) Walk to City office and pay utility bill

3) Call Kedric Redd and ask to borrow his Kreig jig. (I'm building some Cabinets/shelves for SJ Counseling)

4) Play Halo

5) Begin studying next weeks Sunday School lesson

Snacks I enjoy:

1) One full can of Garbanzo Beans

2) Banana Creamies

3) Sunflower seeds

4) Fruit smoothies

5) Chatos (delicious fruit drinks sold at roadside "tiendas" in Guatemala. they are packaged in plastic bags and sometimes sold frozen)

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

1) Pay off all my debts as well as those of my closest family.... yes that does include anyone reading this.

2) Get my pilots license and buy a small plane

3) Travel

4) Invest in job opportunities for Blanding and surrounding area

5) Buy a new pair of sneakers

6) Pay Richie to write a play based on Enders Game

3 of my bad habits

1) Leaving candy wrappers, soda cans, and other opened packaging all over the house. (especially around the chair that I sit in to play the 360)

2) Eating foods that give me heartburn

3) Procrastination

5 places I have lived:

1) Blanding, Ut.

2) Page, Az.

3) Momostenango, Guatemala

4) Phoenix, Az.

5) Helms Deep

5 jobs I have had:

1) Boiler Man (SJ School District)

2) Collections Agent (Southwest Student Services) Richie you better pay those student loans or I'll be calling to offer you a Foreberance

3) Produce Dude (Canyon Country)

4) Janitor

5) Lumber and All Knowing Guy (SJBS)

5 things people don't know about me.

1) My sister and I used to spend hours everyday playing with our imaginary friends

2) I love reading opinions and anything that contains opposing view points

3) When I was a teenager I imagined myself forming a rock band and performing at a school assembly

4) I defend truck drivers

5) I use the same password for everything and it is the title of a book that my best friend and I found while in middle school that we both found amusing.

Tagged:

1. Tyler Perkins

2. Amelia Perkins

3. Morgan Glover

4. Gail Glover

5. Worthy Glover Jr.

Goofy Goobers

2008-01-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

Kids are so much fun!

Touring the World with my Rock Band

2008-01-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

There are so many things we love about our new home. The huge rock fireplace, (or rock climbing wall as Clay likes to call it) is not one of them. We have several ideas for how to disguise it, but not enough time to implement those ideas. We have re-textured, and painted the living room walls, so part of the room at least looks new. We have moved out of our bedroom and into the nursery so that we can re-texture and paint our room. It is really nice to have a good home and a good yard. We are really enjoying our neighborhood and our ward. We are really happy and doing well.

I got Rock Band for Christmas! It has been so much fun to play it together as a family. Clay and I have spent several nights staying up late "touring the world". We keep saying, "one more song" and before we know it, it is midnight! Both kids are pretty good at all the instruments. We also got Guitar Hero, and Eva is really good. Timothy thinks he should be allowed to play guitar -- maybe in a few years buddy.

Clay's family came over Christmas night and we had a lot of fun playing together

So now the Glovers need to come over and play with us!

Timothy Pukes

2007-12-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

Funny video of Timothy at 2 months old.

Eva's Baptism

2007-12-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

A week ago on Saturday we celebrated Eva's Baptism. We got there 30 minutes early only to discover that the ward before us had drained the font. Kd was freaking out because the font takes about 1 hour to fill. We hurried and turned it on and prayed that everyone would be late. Everything turned out fine. We appreciate that Uncle Worthy and Grandpa Worthy were able to be the Witnesses. We are also grateful for all the support shown by those who attended, and for those who couldn't make it but were there in thought.

Eva and Dad at the North Chapel

As you can see from the picture Eva was very happy and Beautiful. We are settling into our new ward. Kd is second counselor in the Primary Presidency. I (Clay the great) am the 3rd Sunday instructor in Elders Quorum. The kids are having a hard time adjusting but it helps that Kd's in Primary with them.

What a wonderful blessing all this moisture has been. We are keeping warm (too warm today) in our new house, and loving the neighborhood that we live in. Unfortunately Eva and Thomas had an accident today when after turning off the lights downstairs they ran into each other splitting Eva's lip open.

Kd thought Eva needed stitches, But she will be fine.

The first real snow at our new house.

Our backyard.

Last week our stake had a special fast for moisture and our prayers have been answered. (Eva was able to fast for the first time and is so grateful to see that it really works)

I Want Candy!

2007-11-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, call us bad parents, but when our neighbor gave Timothy his own sucker for Halloween, we couldn't refuse. This picture reminds me of Homer Simpson slobbering over doughnuts. He loved the candy so much, that he threw his first candy fit when we tried to take it away from him! I know Halloween was forever ago, but here are pictures of my kids anyway:
Eva was a bubble bather, and Thomas was a vampire (minus the teeth because he said they hurt his mouth) I tried to do something more creative for Thomas, but he insisted on being a vampire or a devil.

Eva just turned 8! Grandma Cindy made a dog cake for her and Eva had a party (Yes that is Rachel in the background, and yes, she IS picking her nose).

Thomas got sick yesterday -- he puked in the driveway. As a result, Eva played Nursemaid. It is amazing how nice she can be to the kid when he is sick, but so mean the rest of the time! We told Thomas he should get sick more often, so that Eva will be nice to him.

The Cutest Baby in the World!

2007-10-23T17:06:00.000-06:00

Or at least Blanding...Wow Timothy is 4 months old, and growing so quickly! We are really enjoying our new ward and new neighborhood. I already have a calling -- Primary 2nd Counselor -- I am looking forward to getting to know the ward members through their children. We have stagnated in the unpacking. All the essential stuff is unpacked, so it is that much harder to want to get through all the other boxes. Oh well! Eva and Thomas are doing great at school, and have more friends than they know what to do with thanks to the treehouse.

Weighing Tim in the nail scale at SJBS (Clay's work)

Techno-crazy!

2007-10-13T13:24:00.000-06:00

So Eva's crisis' always seem to occur when I am between the babysitters and home or work, and after she frantically called Grandpa in tears, I got the message that she forgot her lunch for the field trip. The need for my children to be able to find me, as well as the frustration of not having a home phone for 2 weeks, drove me to finally invest in a cell phone. So I just realized, that I am the last of the Glover siblings to get a cell phone! I am not looking forward to another bill, but I am already enjoying the peace of mind of knowing that I can always be in contact with my children. We are really enjoying our new home and our new neighbors, and are looking forward to attending a new ward tomorrow after having been in 1st Ward almost all our lives!

On a sad note, last Friday we had to put Tinkerbell to sleep after she bit our neighbor's 5 year old little girl. Emma Heck (our neighbor girl) tried to hug Tinkerbell, and Tinkerbell for some reason bit Emma on the head. The Heck's were really nice about it, and it was a really small wound, but we knew we could not take the risk of a worse attack in the future, so we made the difficult decision to put her down. The kids took it really hard, and screamed and cried at me. Thank goodness for Brenda, for taking them to her house so they could keep their minds off of it. We are grateful to Dad for taking Tinkerbell to the Vet for us, because we could not do it ourselves. Tinkerbell did have some nice qualities, but they were overshadowed by her aggressive behavior, and that is unfortunate. It will be rough on Clay and the kids for a while, but we know it is ultimately for the best.

Daycare

2007-09-22T11:52:00.000-06:00

So I get in this mindset that I can't post to the blog unless I have pictures to post. So I use this excuse to procrastinate posting. Plus I agree with all of Eryka's reasons for not posting. It is hard being a Mom to a newborn!!! Plus I have my own things that have kept me busy in addition to Motherhood. Work is crazy! September is always one of my busiest months at work, and this year is keeping the trend alive. Not only do I have an insane amount of visitors coming through the museum, but I am still playing catchup from my maternity leave. As far as all I need to get done, it feels like I took 2 years off instead of 2 months! Of course, the good thing about being so busy is that my day flies by and I am back home with Timothy in no time. Timothy is my first newborn to have to go to daycare. Eva and Thomas were lucky to have Brenda and Nan take care of them for their first 5-6 years. Timothy only goes to daycare 2 days a week, but it was really hard! I don't know how other Mothers do it! While the first few times were hard, it has been a really good thing. Cherie (his daycare "Mommie") just adores him; in fact some days I practically have to ask her to give him up -- she enjoys holding him so much! He also goes to Nan one day a week, and between Nan, Livvie, and Racheal I know he is well taken care of.

Timothy Smiles

2007-08-15T19:06:00.000-06:00

Tim Tim is learning how to smile. He loves being talked to and will always smile for Grandma Gail. Here are a few Photos:

What are you doing....?

I love you!

Fun in the Basement

The kids are excited to be going back to school tomorrow. Eva keeps telling us that she's worried about Thomas and how he will do at school. He's not worried though and is probably more excited than Eva.

We spent about an hour the other morning laying outside under the stars. We woke up at 2:00 am to watch the Perseid Meteor shower. We saw a few and had fun.

What does it mean to be tagged?

2007-08-09T14:56:00.001-06:00

Being new to this whole blogging thing I am not sure what it means to be tagged. I assume it means that I answer the same questions as the person who tagged me, so here goes:

Jobs I’ve had:

Waitress (Photo at right is not me--from web)

Grocery Store Clerk
File Clerk

Advocate for Mentally Disabled

Customer Service Rep for Cable Company

Personal Assistant to Construction Manager
Hotel Desk Clerk
Retail Store Manager/Office Manager for State Parks
Mary Kay Rep
Mother

Movies I can watch over and over:

French Kiss
Bourne series (Bourne Identity etc)
The Italian Job
Movies based on Jane Austen’s books (Wuthering Heights, Emma, Pride & Prejudice etc.)
Workout Videos
Matilda (I love watching it with my daughter Eva)
Disney movies
Harry Potter Movies
Lord of the Rings Series

Books I can read over and over:

Pregnancy books

Scriptures

Harry Potter books
Mary Higgens Clark books
Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales
Chronicles of Narnia Series
Historical Novels

Places I have lived:

Blanding, Utah
Victorville, California
Price, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Huntsville, Utah

Places I would like to visit:

Hawaii

The Redwoods in California
Anywhere family is

Places I have visited:

Mexico

Guatemala

TV shows I watch:

Ugly Betty
NCIS
CSI-New York
Mythbusters
Forensic Files
Do-it-yourself shows on HGTV & DIY

Foods I like:

Sorbet
Smoothies
My Mom’s homemade chocolate cake
Good pasta
Fresh Salad
Grimaldi’s Pizza with extra basil
A good panini

I’d rather be:

Sleeping
Playing Catan on my computer
Playing games on my palm
Learning something new
Reading a good book
Playing with my kids

Spending more time with my immediate and extended family

Websites I visit daily:

E-mail
Family blogs
New baby websites
E-bay

Our Special Day

2007-08-06T21:02:00.000-06:00

Garrett & Timothy

Yesterday we blessed our new bundle of joy. It was a very special occasion, and we really enjoyed and appreciated all of the family support we received. Timothy was really good all day. He really likes Garrett (and apparently his thumb). Nan crocheted the outfit he wore and it was truly beautiful. I am grateful that Clay can bless our children; it is one of the greatest gifts we can give our new babies.

Wow! We're Tired!

2007-07-12T20:19:00.000-06:00

Don't get me wrong, we love our new addition, but having a newborn is a lot of work and a lot of sleepless nights! I am so grateful for Eva, she has turned into quite the older sister/personal assistant. She watches Timothy so that I can take a shower in the morning, and she has gotten really good at answering the phone so that I can sleep in a little bit. Both kids still enjoy their new brother, they fight over who gets to sit by him in the van and they are always asking to hold him.

4th of July

Nancy is a pro, I feel human again! (She cut and colored my hair)

Classic Clay

A few photos

2007-06-19T16:39:00.001-06:00

Welcome Home Timothy Tyler!!

2007-06-19T14:11:00.000-06:00

Kd 3 days before delivery -- as big as she got!

Timothy was born at 5:47pm on June 18, 2007. He weighed in at 6lbs. 13ozs. (That's our heaviest so far). He is 21" tall. Kd did a wonderful job delivering Timothy. She went to the birthing center at 12:00pm and was pushing by 5:30pm. She and Timothy are doing just great.

Ten minutes after delivery

First day home!

Barton Family Cousins

Starving baby!

The Umbilical cord was wrapped twice around his neck and once around his foot. However that didn't matter too much. The nurses said that it was the longest cord they had ever seen.

We called the kids to announce the birth of their brother. Eva asked "is he cute?" (are any newborns ever cute?) She was happy but reserved in her reaction. Thomas said, "is the baby here?" and when we responded yes he shouted "yaaaaa!!!.... can we come see him?" I think he was pretty excited.

Living in the Basement

2007-05-15T20:35:00.000-06:00

We have been with Mom and Dad for a little over a month and are still working on settling in. It feels great to have all the "projects" at our old house done; now we have to work on all the projects at Mom and Dad's like cleaning out storage rooms, and finding places for all of our junk. We are not total leeches -- Clay got the swamp cooler running last week, and I try to cook dinner most nights. We also buy groceries, and pay utilities. We are really thankful for Mom and Dad's generosity in letting us take over their basement.
I am now in my 9th month of pregnancy and I finally look pregnant not just chubby! The blessing of carrying so small is that I am not quite miserable being pregnant -- if I could just get this kid to stop wedging himself under my right ribcage things would be great! Several months ago for Spring Break we went to Disney on Ice in Salt Lake City. I thought I would share some of those pictures with you now.

So you think we dropped off the map?!

2007-04-14T12:23:00.000-06:00

Sorry folks, no pictures in this post. We (and by we I mean Clay) have been working like crazy trying to improve our home so we can sell it. We are officially moved in to Mom and Dad's house. As a result, most of our stuff is still in boxes as we try to sort out what to put where. We are truly grateful for Mom and Dad and their willingness to house us until we find a suitable larger house (of course, we have to sell our old house first).
We moved the first load of stuff to Mom and Dad's on Monday. In between packing, I decided I wanted to show off a quilt Mom made for Eva. I went to the next door neighbors without telling my kids where I was going -- I was only going to be gone a minute I told myself. Well, long story short they discovered I was "missing" when the phone rang and I was not there to answer it and Eva freaked out. She first tried to call her Dad, but he was on the phone with Grandma trying to figure out where I was (because he had just called the house). Next she called Brenda's house. Brenda's son Darin told Eva that his Mom was at work, but he would call her for Eva. Brenda called Grandma and Grandma came to check on the kids. Needless to say, I came home to some pretty distraught kids, and yes, I did learn my lesson I will tell the kids where I am going even if it is only for 5 minutes.
Well things didn't get any better for Eva on Tuesday. The normal routine is that I pick up her and her 2 Johnson cousins when school gets out. I was a few minutes late to get them, but I didn't think that would be a problem because Eva's cousin Sam (or Sam's Teacher) usually keeps us all waiting for 5-10 minutes after school gets out. Well on Tuesday both of Eva's cousins got checked out of school early, which threw Eva off, and then when I wasn't right outside she went into a panic! She hurried back into the school and told the Secretaries that her Mom was not there. They calmly told her to wait 5 minutes and if her Mom wasn't there they would call her (I wonder how many times a day they deal with this same problem with different kids). Eva came out, found me and immediately erupted. Too much change for my Eva (or any kid) can be too much to handle.

2007-03-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was an exciting day for the Perkins Family! We went to the Doctor and heard our baby boy's heartbeat again, and everything is going great with the pregnancy. Much thanks to Eryka for the Zofran tip, with my help my Dr discovered that there is a generic available (my co-pay with insurance was over $500!), so now people in Blanding have a better choice than to be sick all the time when they are pregnant! I also got a prescription for heartburn that has already made my life so much more liveable! I am almost 6 months along.

Clay is off work on Wednesdays so I usually work all day. After going to the Dr I went back to work. Into the museum walked an older couple that looked very familiar. The wife paid the fee and then signed our register as Richard and Lynda Petty. Then I understood why they looked familiar! Since Clay is a huge Nascar fan I called him and told him to come and verify if it really was THE Richard Petty at my museum. Clay showed up just as they were leaving and had a chance to meet him it was great! The photo is just one from the web, we didn't want to bother him, he was on vacation!

Kids are fun

2007-02-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

So I first need to clarify our title and quote. It is not that we hold the illusion of being somehow more righteous or spiritual than anyone else. Clay and his brothers have always had extremely active imaginations, that frequently involve alternative worlds (think Dune), so it is only fitting that our blog have a unique theme. Unfortunately sometimes we neglect our children a little too much. Case in point: tonight Thomas came to us and asked if Eva could tuck him in tonight. How sad! Then Eva begged us to let her sleep with Thomas, she had some reasonable arguments like, "I'm seven now so I will go to sleep." My kids never go to sleep when I let them sleep together, they always promise they will but it always ends up being a nightmare for us when they are still up and giggling three hours past their bedtime. After a final resounding no from both Mom and Dad, Eva stormed out of the rooming yelling. "It's not fair, you guys get to sleep with a friend why can't I?!" Kids are fun aren't they?

clay's list of 100 things that you probably don't want to know about him

2007-02-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

1. I'm the tallest member of my Perkins family
2. I play Halo (x-box) half as much as Kd says I do, and twice as much as I lead you to believe.
3. One of my newest past times is playing with my fish.
4. I love hiding behind things and jumping out to scare my wife and children.
5. Sometimes I wish that I could move to Guatemala and become a substistence farmer. I would grow beans, corn, squash and other delicious produce. I would have chickens, pigs, and a milk cow. Every month I would take some delicious produce into town to barter for toothpaste, soap and other necessary items.
6. I wish that I would have been more involved in extra-curricular activities during my high school years
7. I wanted to be a mechanical engineer when I grew up but my math skills were less than desirable. I could probably do it now but I'm too old.
8. Nobody asked me to dance the prominade at my junior prom. (it was for the best as I would have dropped the poor girl during the "lift" phase of the dance)
9. I love my church calling. I teach the 17 year old sunday school class.
10. Having the Glover family as my "second" family is one of the greatest blessings I've ever recieved.
11. My favorite series of novels is Frank Herberts "Dune".
12. I would love to restore Kd's blue Toyota to factory new.
13. Although I complain sometimes, I love working at SJBS.
14. My favorite shows on T.V. are, The Unit, Heroes, The Office, and How it's Made.
15. I like Cheese.
16. I was very self-conscious about my "skinniness" up until a few years ago.
17. I love stargazing
18. I loved going to the uranium mines in northern Arizona with my dad as a child. Because I couldn't go all the way to the bottom he would drop me off at the top. I would build huge rock sculptures and sit and watch the trucks at work far below.
19. My friends and I went camping at johnson creek when we were teenagers. We scared ourselves by talking about banshees and spirits and had to come home.
20. I once scared Kd so bad that she peed her pants.
21. My favorite weather is fogged in and rainy.

22. I wish I could get my pilots license and own a plane.
23. I would love to be a rancher if my dad was still doing it.
24. I used to throw Oranges at my brother Tyler and his friends when they made me made.
25. When I was 8 or 9 I fell off a cliff in west water. I landed on my head but my leg caught something and took what I thought was the worst of the damage. 5 years later I fell of my bunk bed and landed on my head. My mom layed me down on the couch and 10 min. later called me in to eat dinner. I couldn't hardly move my head and I hurt real bad, so she rushed me to the hospital in Monticello. The doctor gave me an x-ray. On examining the x-ray he determined that a small chunk of bone had temporarely become lodged between two vertabrae. He then told me that the chunk of bone had apparently been knocked off years earlier, and that there was evidence that I had previously broken my neck. I guess my leg should've been the least of my worries.
26. I'm scared of losing my hair. (seriously....can you imagine me without hair!)
27. I had a dog named Jix when I was in high school. He loved to chase and kill rabbits. One day he came home with a tiny baby bunny in his mouth. He gently laid it down at my feet and looked up at me with sad worried eyes then ran off toward the field again. a few minutes later he brought another one back, then another. The bunnies were fine.They had not been harmed one bit by my dog. They looked to be only a few days old. The forth time Jix ran off toward the field I followed him and dicovered a nest containing one more baby rabbit. Jix then nervously looked toward the spot on which he had taken the mother rabbits life. I scolded her for killing a mother rabbit but also praised her for feeling sorry enough to try and take care of the babies. After taking care of the bunnies for a month we let them go up near the resevoirs.
28. I want a Mustang. (GT500)
29. I like Cats.
30. I love my Children and wish I could give them everything.
31. I love my wife more than anything in this world.
32. My favorite color is Midnight Blue.
33. I love Chinese food.
34. I love Prime Rib and Crab.
35. One of my favorite gifts is socks.

36. My first "girlfriend" was Julie Cook when I lived in Page, Az. We kissed on the bus everyday at her stop......We were in Kindergarten.

37. When in Page My brothers and I loved to run through the vacant lot as fast as we could all the while pushing one of my mom's baby strollers.

38. I never wore shoes in Page. When we went to the grocery store we always had to have our pieces of cardboard. We would throw it a couple of feet ahead of us then run across the hot pavement and jump on it. We would do this all the way across the parking lot until we got to the safety of the store.

39. When I was 4 years old and my sister was 5 we had two imaginary friends. Once we spent an entire day "playing" with them in our little closet. My mom could barely get us to leave to eat.

40. I wish that I was gifted in writing, I would love to write a novel.

41. I love Fox news.

42. Surprisingly though I don't like Bill O' Reilly.

43. My nickname in school was Bones.

44. My best friend (Phillip Hughes) was called Meat.

45. I love to read.\

46. I once saved my little brother Kloyd's life. He fell into a raging Canal and without even thinking I reached in and pluked him out.

47. Before Kd and I were even "Dating", I paid to have her truck repaired. I think that I knew deep down inside that it (The truck) would one day be mine....actually I knew that Kd would one day be mine.

48. I think Kd has the most beautiful eyes.

49. I used to be afraid of the dark.

50. I've seen a UFO.

51. My mom and I once watched what appeared to be a black jaguar walk through the field south of her house. We never did find out what it was but I know it was a cat, and It was as big as a full grown Labrador.

52. In middle school Philip Thompson and I met under the bleachers to fight. He did a wrestling move on me and I fell down hitting the back of my head. Bruce Guymon stepped in and both he and Philip left with bloody noses. I apoligized to Philip that very day and was freinds with him till he moved to Phoenix.

53. I love traveling in the rain.

54. I love Hiking with my children.

55. No matter where I am, if I hear a jet overhead I look up to see it.

56. I hate shaving. (poor Kd)

57. When I told my best freind that I was dating Kd Glover he asked me if I remembered that we used to tease her and call her names. To this day I don't remember......seriously.

58. I swear too much.

59. Candy, cake, pop, and other delicious things give me heartburn.

60. Another favorite series of Novels that I like is "Ender's Game" and the pre-sequels.

61. I used to love mornings and nights. Now I only like Nights.

62. I hate it when Kd goes out of town. I stay up till 3:00 am and get so bored and sometimes just want to cry.

63. I secretly cry during sad movies.

64. My brothers and I used to climb the tree on dairy road by our house. We would get ourselves up in the branches that hung over the road. We would the proceed to drop sticks and branches on cars as they passed by.......to this day I have eto wonder what the heck we were thinking.

65. My brothers and I almost burned down the vacant lot behind our house, and the lumber yard, and our house, and the neighbors.......and...

66. I loved english in high school

67. I hated Math.

68. I sluffed 80% of my cemistry class my sophmore year to play basketball at Tommy Lyman's house. You know those nightmares you have about being back in high school and not having a clue what was going on? Well...that was me whenever I had a test in Chemistry.

69. One of my best freinds was killed by lightning the summer before my mission.

70. I've never had a ticket (speeding etc....)

71. I was in band mainly for the awesome band trips.

72. I think I have seen every Spongebob episode.

73. Up until last year I wasn't saying the word "gigantic" correctly. Ask Kd.

74. One Night when I was 12 or so I suddenly woke up. I then proceeded to watch an episode of Bugs Bunny which was somehow projected on the wall in the hallway. The next day I talked to my brother about it. He claimed to have seen the same thing....weird huh?

75. I didn't learn to swim until I was about 14.

76. I've eaten grasshoppers.

77. I once had a delicious bowl of hot Guatemalan COW HOOF soup. (hair and all)...by the way I had to eat my companions soup. He almost passed out upon seeing it.

78. I've always wondered what it would be like to be a woman...just kidding.

79. I hope to one day find a bag of money.

80. I fear cancer.

81. My nickname in some circles is "Claydar" or "Clayrod".

82. I love traveling.

83. I always drive on trips.

84. I've never passed out.

85. My companion and roomates at the MTC cured me from appendecites (sp?)

86. I love Sunday dinner at the Glovers house.

87. I used to think that driving up"bronco drive" in my dad's big brown pickup and listening to ACDC was cool.

88. I like Camping

89. I'm older than I look.

90. I hate wearing glasses

91. When I was 12 I lied to the eye doctor so that I could have glasses like my brothers and sister did.

92. I love living in Blanding

93. When I was in high school I thought that I would be living "Back East" by this stage in my life.

94. "My Driver" Matt Kenseth won both races in California. (Nascar)

95. I think that San Juan County is the most beautiful place on Earth.

96. I like mowing the lawn.

97. I like fish sandwiches

98. I am running out of ideas.

99. A bisquit and egg sandwich sounds delicious right now.

100. I'm done.

We finally joined the bandwagon!

2007-02-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

With much prompting from Clay we finally decided to post our own blog! Because it is so slow right now at work I am addicted to the family blogs and check them frequently for new posts. We have really enjoyed reading peoples 100 things so Clay will be posting his 100 soon. Eva had a patriotic program at school today, it is always fun to watch her perform. Thomas is now going to Nan's house several days a week while I work and he is loving having Rachael to play with. Eva is proving to be quite the big sister; she played very lovingly with Olivia today and I was very proud (if only she could learn to stop yelling at her brother)! The only other big event in our lives was the poor squirrel that got treed by our dog Tinker Bell yesterday. The kids and the dog went crazy trying to get it down until they all lost interest and it made a quick retreat to safer ground.