Merry Christmas Eve!

The stockings are hung......The gifts are wrapped......I just love pretty presents! It doesn't matter the contents of the package; I just love for them to be pretty! I try my best to have all the gifts wrapped and under the tree no later than the day before Christmas because I so enjoy just "looking" at them. That may sound crazy, but isn't a tree surrounded by gifts purchased with love a beautiful sight? Every gift under the tree (or in our case around the tree) has been carefully selected for its recipient with much love and care. Of course, these days everything gets wrapped, no matter how big or small, and this year, it appears that the biggest presents are for the smallest member of the family--ha, no surprise there! No more unwrapped gifts from Santa around the family tree, although Santa did tell me that there are still a few to be added, today... ;)

There's no question that everyone's very favorite gift this year arrived on June 10 in a tiny package named Carson James Clark. He didn't arrive with a bow on his head or a "TO: / FROM:" card attached, but he was--and is--indeed a gift! He is the child we prayed for and the assurance of God's faithfulness. It's hard to believe that he's already six months old and getting his two front teeth for Christmas--that is, his two TOP teeth; he cut the two bottom ones at four months! He is such a joy to each and every one of us; how very blessed we are!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Y'ALL!

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving has arrived--a time to reflect and give thanks for the blessings this past year has brought to our family. Of course, the most obvious one is pictured above...our precious little Carson. Our lives have all been brightened by this little ray of sunshine! He has melted our hearts and given each of us pause to remember God's grace and faithfulness in a sometimes dreary world.

While I would certainly put Carson at the top of my "2010 Blessings" list, I would also add:

• My wonderful husband, David, who has shared my life, loved me unconditionally, and tolerated my moods for the past 35+ years
• My children Taylor, Blair, Jon, and Jeff who have given me more joy than I could possibly ever describe and who are endless sources of pride for me
• My beautiful daughter-in-love, Portia, who is EXACTLY who we prayed for our son to find (we just didn't know her name!)
• My sweet, Cathleen, who came into our family when the Lord called her precious mother home
• My brothers and their wives who have loved me simply because we're family and sometimes when I wasn't particularly lovable
• David's sisters and my brother-in-law who have become my best friends and who love me without reservation
• Countless friends and relatives who have supported me and encouraged me when the road of life has taken unexpected turns
• Jonathon's return to UGA, his beautiful spirit, and his continued recovery.

With the blessings, of course, has come heartache. It saddens me during the holidays that neither my parents nor David's are here with us. Although they are all celebrating with our heavenly Father, I still miss them terribly. This past year, however, brought a grief to this family unlike any we have ever experienced: Our precious nephew, Ross, left us to live on higher ground. His departure from this earth came suddenly and left us all with a hole in our heart that is slowly healing, although like most deep wounds will leave a scar forever. He was a beautiful spirit, a loving young man and a devoted friend, and is dearly missed by those who knew him and loved him. Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, but when that loved one has not yet reached the prime of life, I think the parting is that much harder......we are just never ready. We are a resilient bunch, though; we have learned through hard times to lean on each other and to trust in our God. Through His love and sovereign grace, we are strengthened and given the courage to face all that challenges us, knowing that He will never forsake us and that when our life's journey threatens to overwhelm us, he will gently guide us through the darkness.

Our Father who is in Heaven
We lift our hearts to you
In praise and adoration for
All we are in You

Our paths have not been easy
We’ve faced our share of grief
We’ve said goodbye to loved ones
Whose journey here was brief

For those who’ve gone before us
We ask you, Lord, today
To let them know that ‘though they’re missed
The love we have inside our hearts will never go away

And ‘though we do not understand
We trust in Your full grace
That one day when we leave this earth
We’ll see them face to face

But until then, we pledge this day
To live and laugh and love
And not forget the blessings
We’ve received from You above.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-24-2010

Monday Morning Moment

No big update at the moment; just couldn't resist sharing this precious little bundle of cuteness! This little monkey puts a smile on my face just thinking about him! What a blessing he is to our family. We thank God every day for this sweet boy and for the joy he brings to each of us. GOD IS GOOD.

Happy Monday....will try to bring things up to speed soon! We've been busy, busy, busy!

A House Divided Still Equals Family

"Grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from
generation to generation." ~Lois Wyse

Three Generations of Clarks

Carson attended his first tailgate party in Athens on Saturday, and judging from the outcome of the game, I'd say he was a good luck charm! (Of course, we think he's full of charm anyway!) His Aunt Blair, our Tennessee Volunteer, flew in from New York for the weekend, and although the game didn't have the outcome she would have liked, I think that she'd still give the visit a big "W" in her family visits album. She does love that little Bulldog! The highlight of the day for David and me was that we got to babysit for the little man during the game! We all attended the tailgate and then David and I drove Carson back to his house to watch the game. He's obviously a serious fan already.The highlight of the weekend, however, was to have all my children together. What mother doesn't love that??? At this point in the day, Carson had had just about all the fun he could take for one tailgate party!Aren't they a good-looking group? This was obviously pre-game, but the wonderful thing about them is that no matter who got bragging rights after the game, they are first and foremost Family........something always worth bragging about! Children are truly a gift from the Lord. I love you all so much and thank Him daily for the gift that you are!

"Other things may change us, but
we start and end with family." ~ Anthony Brandt

Jeremiah 1: 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;"

Where Were You?

"Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?" ~ Alan Jackson

I would be horribly remiss to not pause for a moment and pay tribute to the significance of this date in history, for on this particular date, my life and the lives of every American changed. We lost a bit of our "innocence" I believe. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news of the terrorist attacks. I was teaching a high school computer class in a classroom that had no television reception, so I really had no idea what had occurred until class ended and my co-workers greeted me with the news: "Two planes have just hit the twin towers in New York City!" I, like so many others, couldn't even grasp the enormity of the situation.........what????

Of course, I had to "carry on" for the sake of my students when all I wanted to do was gather my family close to me and not let go. Our oldest son had just started his first post-college job; our daughter had just begun her freshman year of college; and our twin sons had just begun their junior year in high school. My boys were at least in the area (and living with us), but our only girl was almost 200 miles away! As soon as possible, I contacted each of them to make sure they were okay, but was frantic that we couldn't all be together. Our daughter called her dad and asked, "Daddy, are we going to war?" (and like a good dad, he reassured her that everything would be okay). Later, however, she wanted to hop in the car in the middle of the night and drive home, and as hard as it was to say it, we had to tell her to stay put--that she was probably safer where she was than driving home in the middle of the night. Ah, what a scary time!!!!

And here we are..........nine years later. Our lives have changed enormously, though we still remember. We will never forget. As Alan Jackson's song also says,

"but I know Jesus and I talk to God
and I remember this from when I was young
Faith, Hope and Love are some good things He gave us
and the greatest is Love."

Nine years later.........Taylor, our oldest, is married to his "true companion" and they are raising our first grandchild; Blair, our daughter, is following her dreams and her heart in New York City--and surprisingly, we sleep well at night; Jeff, one of our twins, has completed college and is living on his own and enjoying the life he is making for himself; and Jon, our other twin, is alive (a blessing we remember every day) and continuing on the road set before him over five years ago. In some ways, I admit, the journey that began for this family on March 12, 2005, has taken a stronger hold in our personal lives than the one that began for our nation on September 11, 2001. We still reflect on our own "Where were you?" on that fateful Saturday in our lives, and we live with the constant reminder of God's faithfulness and love in seeing Jon continue to seek God's will in his life. We KNOW we are blessed.

We recognize that the world in which we live has changed. We understand through our faith that what man intended for evil on 9/11, God has used for good. Yes, there is still evil in the world; yes, there are still families suffering from the tremendous losses of that horrific September day (and for those families, I'm sure we all share a piece of their heartache); and yes, there is a new sense of awareness that what happened then could happen again. BUT, I pray that for each of us, we have learned that no matter where our life's journey has taken us since that horrible day in September, 2001, we are stronger than we ever thought possible. We are called to encourage each other and to support each other at all times. My family has travelled a road that at times felt very lonely, but at no time were we alone. Even in our darkest hours, we never doubted that the God we serve would provide us with just what we needed WHEN we needed it. We firmly believe that because of Him, we have been surrounded by family and friends (and even strangers) who love us but who, more importantly, love the Lord and seek daily to do His will. Should another 9/11/01 threaten this nation, or another 3/12/05 threaten this family, we will be secure in knowing that our Lord will see us through whatever this life brings.

"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." ~ Joshua 24:15

Persistence

Just a little reminder today--

"Persistence -Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave." ~Calvin D. Coolidge

We are so proud of you, Jonathon.

He's BAAAAAACK!

Yesterday, Jonathon returned to UGA for the fall semester. Although to most, this might seem to be a rather insignificant feat--to us, it's monumental.

For a variety of reasons, I chose to not share all that transpired last fall when he returned to campus, but suffice it to say that the fall of 2009 was fraught with frustrations, disappointments, and surrender. Jonathon began classes in his major in the fall of 2009 and quickly became overwhelmed with the demands of the curriculum. As he shared with the Dean of Student Services, he simply "shutdown" as opposed to having a "meltdown". As a result, he ultimately came home in late October and remained at home during this past spring semester. After seeking advice from his therapist and getting an order from his doctor, as well as gaining approval from his vocational/rehabilitation counselor (and upon Jonathon's intense desire to return to class), we determined that the best (and most sensible) course of action would be for him to return ONLY if he limited his enrollment to two classes. Therefore, he is enrolled in two classes this fall--one meeting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and the other meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We are hopeful that this schedule will afford him the best possible outcome.

As he begins this fall semester, we have several specific prayer requests:
1. that his funding be enough to cover his expenses
2. that he utilize any and all resources and support services available to him
3. that he is confident of his abilities
4. that he achieves success in his classes
5. that, above all else, God shows him the way to achieve his goals and that Jonathon remains diligent in his faith.

Please join us in asking the Lord for a successful return to campus for Jonathon! And..........GO DAWGS!!!!