One Year Old Already!

Well, it has been two months since my last post and LOTS of things have happened around the Clark house. We stayed busy all summer with many different things going on. Ty has started Little Friends Preschool and loves his teacher Mrs. Katie. He came home the second day and told me he had told Mrs. Katie he loved her. It's such a wonderful feeling knowing my child is with someone he loves when he's at school and away from his mama. Also, being a stay-at-home mom has been awesome so far. I shared with some ladies at ladies prayer group that I'm in a totally different frame of mind. I'm in such a better mood in the afternoons. I may be tired when Ben gets home, but it's a whole different feeling from before when I was teaching. I don't feel ill, and usually supper is DONE! That's a really good thing too!

Ty also had his 1st dentist visit and it went GREAT!! Dr. Worley's staff in Opp is wonderful. We had been reading The Berenstain Bears Go the Dentist to get him ready for our visit. He thought everything was going to be just like the story. When they took us back, Ty went to an exam room and I was taken to a different room. I asked the ladies if he was going to be ok. I really thought I had to be with him. They assured me he would be fine, and he was. I realize now, it probably worked out best for him not to be in the same room with me. When we got to the car to leave he said, "Mama, my dentist lady was great!" Well, Dr. Worley is a man, so he was talking about his dental hygenist. She was a cute, young girl and was so sweet to him. I think by the time we got to the door, he had talked to everyone of the ladies and even the receptionists. I wonder where he gets that?? And no cavities was great to hear too!

Andrew just celebrated his 1st birthday yesterday!! It doesn't seem possible. My, how time does fly! We had all the family on Saturday for the party. The weather cooperated, so we were able to play in the pool all afternoon. Thanks everybody for helping celebrate our sweet baby's 1st birthday.

He started walking at 11 months and is going everywhere. His little short legs can cover some ground in a hurry! His favorite things to "get into" is my spice cabinet and his garbage can. The salt and pepper shakers are the perfect fit for his little hands. He'll have a pepper mustache and I'll know where he's been! And I don't know why, but he loves the blue bags that I put his diapers in. He gets one and carries it all over the house. I finally tricked him the other day, and put tissue in a blue bag and put it in my spice cabinet. When he opened up the cabinet, he grabbed the bag and off he went. So instead of pulling out all of my little spices, he took the bag and was gone. He's now eating everything we eat! And, I mean everything. He can slurp down spaghetti noodles with the best of 'em! He could sit in his high chair all day and eat if I would let him. He's a very good eater. We keep telling Ty he's going to catch him. Not to mention, it is a little nice not to have to buy all that baby food.

Our church honored all the babies with a baby dedication service three weeks ago. It was wonderful. Bro. Matt's message was right on. What an awesome responsibility we've been given when we're blessed with these precious children. My prayer is that my children will always know how important it is to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. I pray that we will bring our children up in the admonition of the Lord for the rest of our days. And that one day, if they are blessed with children, my grandchildren will be taught the importance of being in God's Word and in His will.

This past Sunday night was another very special service at church. Ben was ordained as a deacon. This was such a wonderful experience for us that we will never forget. (I am still sick over the fact that I did not have a camera or video camera with me.) Ben did have an idea though. He said we could put our same clothes back on and go back to church and take some pictures!! So, I don't know....maybe we will. I am so proud of him! I pray that he never loses his desire to stay in the Word and have that intimate relationship with the Lord. I just pray that when the trials come, we can put our complete faith and trust in our Lord and Savior and let him work instead of trying to take things in our own hands. It was such an awesome service!

I'm going to post some pictures from all the things that have been going on with us for the last two months. Hopefully, it won't be two months before I post again!

Andrew's Baby Dedication

Ty's First Day of School

End of Summer Beach Vacation ~ Destin

The water was still as a pool. It was perfect to play in. This was definitely the time to be there. Hardly anyone was there. The weather and water couldn't have been more beautiful!



We were so glad that Kristen, Maggie Ruth, and Jack could come down and enjoy the beach with us for a couple of days! Jack ate his share of the sand while he was there!

Maggie Ruth and Ty laying out by the pool!

Check out this adorably cute couple!

Andrew's Play Cake



Amy and the Bobsey Twins~ Allie and Emma

I see a fight in the works already

4th of July

Swim Day with John Luke and Sawyer

Family Beach Trip in July~ Destin

Ty loves to help clean the house. He'll make up his mind to do something and I won't even know he's doing it.

Ty and Ben were working on a project. He has to get his tools out and work right alongside his Daddy.

Nine Month Photos

Andrew's 9 month photo shoot is up and running. I thought they turned out well. Once again, how do I ever decide which ones to buy?? I want them ALL!! Go to http://www.amynicholsphotography.com/ and click on Enter Site: Client: Password: andrew

Enjoy!!

What We've Been Up To

Sorry, I haven't updated in awhile. {Amy, this is for you. My 5 year old niece always checks to see if I've updated.} It's been very busy around our house the past several weeks. Playin' in the pool, Goin' to the beach, the zoo, playing church softball, goin' to the beach, and finally more playing in the pool. We've been enjoying the HOT, HOT summertime weather in south Alabama, so I hardly have time to get on this thing. So this is going to be a pretty long post. Hopefully, I can get caught up on everything! Hope everyone is having a HAPPY SUMMER!!

Beach Trip #1





This little baby LOVES the water! He would have his face all the way in the water before I would even realize it!!

Montgomery Zoo

Last week we ventured to the zoo before Ben left for Wisconsin. They were honoring military families, so we all got in free and lunch was on them also!

We also got to go in the Mann Museum. Ty thought this Polar Bear was really cool.

Couldn't resist... I told Ben this was one of his long-lost relatives.

Ty loves taking pictures with his camera! The problem is, sometimes you have no clue what you're looking at after he's taken it!

As hot as it was, there were no complaints from this little guy! What a sweet baby!

Ben was really into these little river otters!

Beach Trip #2

Last week we had a fun day at the beach with lots of friends. I look back at the pictures of all the kids in the water and wonder if we were absolutely out of our minds....I don't think so. We had a great time even if we did get a little too much sun!

All the guys!

Ty and Jacob

This was Ty's way of getting warm.

Three tired kiddos ~ Logan, Amy & Ty

The whole crew!

Putting up Vegetables
This is something we always do. For as long as I can remember, we've gone to my Grandaddy's to pick peas, butterbeans, squash, tomatoes, pull ears of corn, dig potatoes, cut okra. And, we're still doing it. Only now, it's my daddy's garden. He always plants a little of everything, or should I say alot of everything. He also roots any kind of flower he finds beside the road while he's working. He and my mother spend most of their spare time working at Grandaddy's, either making another flower bed, planting a garden, setting out new plants, mowing, or weed-eating. It's a very big area, so by the time they're finished, it's time to start all over again!!

They've done all the work outside and it looks so nice! I know my Grandaddy would smile if he could see what they've done.

Ty helping Grandaddy in the garden.

These hydrangeas have multi-colored blooms. They're pink, blue, and lavender. Some blooms have all three colors.

The kids all have their swings. Looks like we'll be adding another one pretty soon for Andrew!
Andrew was trying his best to escape from his palette we had made him. He was trying to crawl without his knees touching the grass.

Ty shucking corn.

I love these gladiolas. {aka Glads in the south}. They are so pretty!

This is my daddy's gladiola bed. They are beautiful.

A Perfect Day for a Lemonade Stand

Yesterday Allie and Amy set up their very own lemonade stand. What better day for a cold glass of lemonade and homemade cookies? With the temperature almost at 100, I have to say that lemonade did hit the spot girls.

I think lemonade is a much better choice than a plastic bag of hickory nuts, washed I might add. {Kelley, our neighbor Chris, and I did this when we were little}. We picked up hickory nuts, washed 'em, bagged 'em, and rolled them out by the road in our wagon to sell. I'm wondering if we sold any at all! If I had to guess, I would say that most people by-passed a hickory nut stand!

Young entrepreneurs: Amy and Allie

Allie can always take a break to hold Mr. Andrew!

So this is what we've been doing for the last several weeks! I think this is why I never have time to get on here.

Ben has almost made a week in Wisconsin. And has about another week and a half to go before his school is over! He is enjoying mild temps there. It's in the mid 70's in Wisconsin. He says he's going to have to get readjusted to the heat when he gets home. Yep, I would say so.

This will be the last school that he will have to go to for awhile! Yay!!!!!! Ready for him to be home for good!

Hopefully, I can post before another month has passed. Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!