Packing

Samuel was a great big help the last two days as we are trying to pack. He loved riding to and from the laundry room in the basket. He would sit up, hold on and laugh hysterically. He seemed to enjoy the warm "fresh out of the dryer" laundry best!

We are all packed and eager to head to the airport tomorrow morning. We are planning on leaving the house at 4:30am! in order to get to the airport the recommended three hours before departure. There is no way I am missing this plane! If all goes according to plan, we should arrive in Chicago tomorrow afternoon!

We are looking forward to seeing you all very soon!

Christmas Plans

For all our Grand Rapids friends....
We will be in GR for a short time over break.
In order to see as many people as we can, we are going to be at the
Panera Bread on 44th and Kenowa from 2:00-5:00pm on
Wednesday, December 28th.
We will be upstairs by the fireplace.
We would love to see anyone that has a quick minute to stop by.
If not, we totally understand the mad rush of the holiday season.
Hope to see you there!

Look at me!

Samuel is getting pretty comfortable sitting up now. He does still have a pretty round bum and will fall over pretty easily, especially if he get really excited! He does reach for toys and will pull himself back up to sitting after grabbing it! We generally will put him down with his Boppy or with pillows around him and let him go. He thinks it is pretty funny to fall over!

He is also pulling a famous baby stunt, wants to play with anything but the toys he is given. Some of his toys are kept in a basket in the living room, he takes the toys out and plays with the basket. I am sure over Christmas he will love the wrapping paper and the boxes! I guess that makes him pretty easy to please!

Family Time

Today was Mike's first day off both work and school, so we played! First, we took Samuel to the zoo for the first time. Since it was rainy and cold we only saw about half the exhibits. We did see lions, tigers, monkeys, elephants, hippos and a giraffe. Samuel did really well. He watched the animals as they moved and even smiled at a few.


Next, we went to the mall to eat lunch and see Santa. Samuel sat in a big boy high chair and played very well while we ate. He even tried to pay the bill, they wouldn't take his credit card!


Finally, we made the much awaited stop to see Santa. He loved Santa. He was very intrigued by both his hat and glasses. We had a hard time getting a picture because Samuel wanted to look at Santa not the camera. After four tries we managed to capture a decent one. All in all we had a great day as a family.



For more pictures of the zoo and Samuels Santa visit, check out the website
http://homepage.mac.com/clarkm34/Menu20.html

Sleepy

Since Mike is now off school for the next four weeks and has more time at home we decided to become a bit tougher with Samuel and his sleeping habits. He has always been a good sleeper, but prefers to be in our bed cuddled next to mom! Since I don't get a decent nights sleep with him next to me, you can imagine that this routine is not working out so well. Starting yesterday, as soon as Samuel starts to show us he is tired, we wrap him up, give him his blanket and binky and lay him down. So far we are 3 for 4!! He does fuss a bit, but generally calms down and is asleep within a few minutes. He does seem to wake up more often, but only requires help finding a lost bink or a few pats to drift back off to dreamland. Although we know that the holidays and being in Michigan may destroy the entire plan, we are pretty happy that he continues to sleep well! Sleep Tight!

Beauty

Wow! Although the weather here has been a bit on the cold side (so the natives say), it has been beautiful. Despite the horror stories we heard about all the rain, the last week or so it has been clear skies. Everyday as we head to the highway, we see a beautiful sight of one of the mountain ranges. Further down the highway, we round a bend and POW, Mt. Rainier towers beautifully in front of us. Mike nearly drives off the road each time we make that turn! It is a beautiful view to experience. Although I miss the snow and am eager to head back to Michigan for a white Christmas, I can't help but love the view here!

Keeping Warm

We have had a few sad days here in the Clark household. Samuel is officially into some of his 6-9 month clothing. I had a really hard time coming to terms with the fact that he is moved up yet another size. It seems like just yesterday we were dressing him in all his 0-3 months clothes and laughing about how big they were on him. Today he woke up in a 9 month sleeper that even appears to be a little on the shorter side! So sad!

Although I am saddened by how quickly he is growing, I am amazed by my little dude. He is developing into such a great and fun little boy. He is so amazed by new things. He gets pretty excited when he realizes that he has been sitting up for a couple of seconds and smiles, which is quickly followed by either arm waving or kicking which sends him tumbling over. He then laughs and tries to figure out how to get back up.

I am amazed daily with how much joy he brings to my life. I always knew I wanted to have kids and thought I would enjoy being a mom, but now I cannot image my life any other way. I never realized how much joy one little bundle could bring. His smile, which is pretty standard, takes away any fear, anxiety and sadness and fills me with hope, love and a desire to keep going. It's amazing what a toothless grin can do to your heart!

Bubbles

Samuel loves his bath time. Today was the first time he has ever been able to sit up in it which adds a whole element of excitement. He loves being lathered up but would prefer not to be rinsed off! We are also apt to see some of his attitude emerge when it is time to come out and he isn't quite ready! I am sure this is only a glimpse as to what he will be like in a year or so! Yeah parenthood!

Party Time

Last night we had our first official Christmas party. Mars Hill hosted a get together at the Best Western downtown. We all got dressed up and went out for the evening. We had appetizer, desert, punch and coffee. We also sang some traditional Christmas carols and decorated ornaments. Samuel did very well until the music started. He has been startling easily over the past week and we think between the noise and light he had enough. Whenever the music started he would look at Mike or I am end up screaming. We decided the lobby was a much better place to be! By the end of the night we were all exhausted and ready to climb into bed. Let the holiday season begin!!

Family

Samuel is such a camera ham! Of course we don't mind one bit!
Learning how to sit up. Yes that's mom's hand, she thinks she needs to catch me!

Cuddle time with mommy!

Chillin' with daddy! Go Spartans!

Warm Thoughts and Wedding Bells

The whole gang overlooking Seattle from Queen Anne hill!

Sending warm thoughts to all those back in the Midwest. From the looks of it you are all receiving tons of snow...maybe a snow day! Here the weather is a bit different. Yesterday and for the next 4-5 days it is sunny and mild. We were out shopping yesterday in long sleeves and vests! It does get a bit chilly at night, but nothing compared to what we are use to. I think we will be in for a shock when we are home over Christmas!

Samuel and I are doing all the last minute things before Christmas. We are decorating a tree, making cookies and shopping! He is such a help with it all! He wants to pull all the lights and decorations off the tree, eat all the cookies and thinks he needs to be the center of attention in all the stores. Thankfully he is cute and people comment on that,not how loud he can be! Yesterday he and I went to the outlets and spent the money daddy made. We found lots of great things for everyone! You will have to wait and see!


If you haven't already heard...Angie and Caleb are engaged. Wedding plans are in the making. He asked her to marry him this past Wednesday (her birthday). They are planning an October 2006 wedding! Yeah...a party! Samuel is hoping he will be able to walk by then so he can dance the night away. Congrats Aunt Angie and (Uncle to be) Caleb!!

Happy Birthday

Today is Aunt Angie's birthday. When she was here for Thanksgiving we went to Tony Romas to celebrate. She loves cheesecake, but did share with us. We hope she has a fantastic day.


Also we have to wish a belated birthday to Uncle Mike. His birthday was last Wednesday (November 30). He is 17 now! For his birthday we went to Buca de Beppo's. He had candles, singing and ice cream...which he didn't share!

Snow?

Well this is what we woke up to today. This is a picture off our back deck. Someone told me it didn't snow much here in Washington. Since this is our second day with considerable snowfall, I am beginning to doubt them. Luckily it is not enough that we are having to shovel yet! Samuel thought it was great. He reached out for it and was pretty confused when it melted before he could open his hand to see it. Bailey thinks she is back at home. She has been playing out in the yard and running through it.

Today we will continue to unpack the remaining boxes. Hopefully today is the last. We are still looking for a dining room table, hopefully we will find one cheap on craigslist.org. We then should be pretty set. I promise to get pictures posted soon! Hope all is well with everyone!

Play Date

Samuel is loving all the extra space in the new house (so are mom and dad). We are getting the last couple of rooms set and final boxes unpacked. Today we made a trip to Ikea, my favorite store. We found some cheap shelves for Samuel's room that I am going to attempt to stain in order to match his furniture. We also found some rugs for the hardwood floors and shoe racks. Mike's favorite purchase was his new chair. He has been looking at a chair at Ikea for over three years. I found one in the "As Is" section marked down over $100. We think it was only returned because there is no visible damage. All we had to get was the pad. He is thrilled. I am wondering if he will ever venture out of it.


Last night, Samuel had his friend Roxy over! Roxy's mom and I are in the same Tuesday night group. Roxy will be nine months old this month and is very mobile. I am beginning to see what I am in for in a few months. Anyway, the two love playing together. Samuel just stares at Roxy as she moves about. Roxy is very interested in Samuel's eyes and nose, good thing he doesn't seem to mind. Next week, Samuel will visit Roxy so Mike and I can have a date night! What's that?

Playing Around

Yes, I know it has been awhile since I posted last...we have been a bit busy. Over the past week, we moved, my family was here for Thanksgiving, we moved, I had the flu and did I mention we moved! We are now officially in our house and are loving it. We still have plenty of boxes to unpack and more rooms to set up, but it is slowly feeling like home. It is so much better than the apartment. I will take some pictures and post them soon.

As for everything else, Mike continues to slave away at work and at school. November was a tough month in car sales so we are hoping December will be much better. School is winding down...two weeks left. Two weeks means lots of papers and finals to finish up! Mike will be plenty busy. I have been doing most of the moving, so am feeling a bit overwhelmed by boxes at this point. It is so nice to have space again though. I have a kitchen that more than one person can fit in at a time and Samuel doesn't have to share his room with the computer anymore. Speaking of Samuel, he continues to do well. He still is hanging on to his winter cold. Doctor says not to worry so I am trying not too. He doesn't act sick at all, just coughing. He has realized he has vocal cords and uses them often! Rolling from one side of the room to the other is also a new trick he thinks is great!

I will post Thanksgiving pictures and some snow pictures in the next couple of days. Yes, I said snow. We had our first snowfall today, actually sticking to the ground. People are rushing off to the stores and gas stations in case everything shuts down! It is an entirely different world!

Jenn

Talking to Nana

One of the hardest parts about living in Seattle is being away from our families. Although we try to talk on the phone often, I update using this blog and the website and Samuel and I travel back as often as possible, it just isn't enough. Mike and I wrestle with the thought of Samuel having to be away from all his family for the first three years of his life. We often question God about the direction we feel He has chosen for us to follow. Yet, at the end of the day we know we will be heading back to Michigan soon and by living a life lead by God, Samuel will learn the value of following his heart when the time comes. As parents we want to support our children in taking risks in order to live life fully. We feel that it would be impossible for us to do so if we do not do so ourselves.

With that being said, we are trying to come up with ways for Samuel to know his extended family even though they are states and states away. We will be making videos over Christmas of each family member that he can then watch on the computer, we have started a scrapbook of people who love him and will read it often, we even have a talking picture frame. Shortly after moving here, Samuel received a package from his Nana (Jenn's mom). In it was a picture frame with a picture of the two of them and a button to push. When pushed it simply says "Hi Samuel! This is Nana. I hope you're being a good boy. I sure miss you. We'll see you soon. I love you." It still brings tears to my eyes. Anyway, each day we play this for Samuel, sometimes multiple times. At first he would just stare at it and then look away, but now it is a different story. He often reaches out for it, grabs it and trys to eat it (we call it kissing Nana). There is always a smile on his face.

It is amazing to watch him interact with the picture and voice. Although it is by no means a substitute for the real interaction we desire him to have, it will have to make due for now. I am eager to see him respond to his Nana over Thanksgiving after being away for nearly six weeks. I truly believe he is capable of making the connection with her voice and the picture. I guess we will have to wait and see. Until then we will keep pushing the button.

Independence

As you can see, Samuel is becoming more and more independent. He tries so desperately to hold his own bottle now, but needs some more practice. He loves grabbing it and getting it into his mouth, but is still baffled when he throws his arms around and the bottle goes flying. He is also starting to show a bit of his stubbornness (just like mom!). He is very impatient when it comes to his food and how quickly you can get it ready when he is hungry. We are really enjoying his personality!

additionally, we are hoping to get into the house tomorrow or Tuesday. We are only waiting on the last pieces of paperwork and then scheduling a time when we can all meet to sign the lease. I have been busy packing boxes and bins to move over once we get the key. We are all really excited to be in a bigger and better place. Bailey is thrilled to have a yard again that she can play in without having to be on a leash! I am sure Samuel will appreciate all the open space and clean carpet when he begins his crawling adventures soon! I will post pictures soon!

Friends Forever

As you can see, Samuel and Jocie love spending time together. I always know I am in for a real treat when I have to two of them. It is amazing to watch them grow together. One day Jocie is reaching out and grabbing things and the next Samuel is doing the same. They are becoming much more interactive with one another now. They are definatly aware that the other is there and will often times reach out and grab each others clothing. Lots of smiles and cooing too! Luckily they are both still pretty immobile! I can only imagine the fun we can have then they are both crawling in opposite directions!

Updates!

This is one of Samuel's three month pictures that were taken back in October. Doesn't Heather do an awesome job?

Not much new here in the Clark household. Samuel continues to recover from his cold. He seems to be doing better each day. Still pretty congested and some coughing, but overall it is easy to tell he is feeling better. He slept much better last night, staying in his "big boy" bed until 6:40 this morning. He is still eating his cereal, but it is touch and go each day. Some days he loves it and cannot get enough and others he spits it back at me! I guess I can't blame him when Mike and I are eating cookies and he gets nasty rice cereal!

Mike got another car out yesterday and has about ten new leads! A lot of the crew went to a training so he had the lot all to himself. Hopefully some of the leads will pan out and he will get a few more cars out this weekend. I am doing well at home. I started going to the YMCA this week so I have been pretty sore. I forgot how hard it is to get back into shape! I am hoping to be into a regular routine by Christmas. I am also starting to back some of the apartment up. It feels like we just finished unpacking. The only good thing is that I know how much nicer and roomier the house is! Hopefully we will be able to settle there for the rest of the time we are here.

Hope all is well with everyone!

Feeling Jealous

Since Samuel has been born, Bailey has been feeling a bit jealous. She still competes for our attention by stealing socks, burp rags and bib. We have to remember to take some time each day and remind her that she is still our big baby!

Not much else is new here. We did find a house to rent and will hopefully be moving in around Thanksgiving. I will post some pictures when I get them. Samuel is continuing to get better, sleeping better also. Mary is back home and recovering also. Thanks for your prayers!

Sick Little Boy

Well, Samuel is still battling this cold. He has been quite the trooper, hardly complaining at all. He was up most of the night last night making today a little less enjoyable. He is pretty congested and has a nasty cough. He has not run a fever, refused to eat, or seemed to slow down at all. We called the doctor today. He did not seem to concerned at all. Said unless he has a fever, has changes in eating or seems to have trouble breathing, it is best to let him fight it. He has taken a few long naps today, hopefully tonight will be better.

Also Mike's mom is back in the hospital. She has been really sick to her stomach and can't seem to keep things down. She tried going off the pain meds and just on Tylenol, but was in to much pain to function. She went to the doctor who then sent her back into the hospital. We are waiting to hear.

Pretty dreary day here in Seattle!

Play hard...Sleep hard

Samuel got a new toy the other day. A Jumper!! He loves it. It took him about five minutes to figure it out, but then thought it was the best thing ever. He jumps and squeals while he is spinning around and around. I don't know how he doesn't get sick. He loves it so much he gets upset when we take him out. So yesterday, he was jumping around while I was finishing up an invoice on the computer. All of a sudden he got really quiet. Upon investigation, this is how I found him!! He had jumped himself to sleep. After taking a few pictures I wrapped him up for a long two hour nap!


On another note, please keep Mike's mom, Mary, in your prayers. She fell yesterday at her house and ended up with a broken toe and ten stiches. She is home now recovering, but could use extra thoughts and prayers! Thanks!

Jenn

Sleepy Bear

Samuel is still fighting off his cold. Yesterday we had to do some
running around and so I bundled him up to keep him warm.
He was so cuddly and warm in his little bear suit not to
mention adorable.

A less traveled path...

As many of you know, community in it's many forms has been pursuing us over the last year. From our small group back in Grand Rapids (that we do miss dearly) to great communities at work (also greatly missed) we have surrounded ourselves with people who support us, hold us accountable and provide us with a "family." Although we knew moving to Seattle, we would leave these communities behind, we desired to create new pockets of people here. Thankfully we have found some of these.

Last night, we had dinner with our dear friends Jon and Annie. Ever since we began talking about a possible move to Seattle, they have been a great support group for both of us. We always enjoy the time that we can sit and talk to them about real stuff that is in our hearts. Last night was no exception. To say the least, we always feel more alive after conversations with them. Craig and Beth have also become an additional couple we have turned to. They share many exciting adventures with us, moving from Michigan in August and being new parents. They were able to join us for dessert last night at El Diablo. Over great conversation, I finally felt God's presence here in Seattle.

Since our decision to move, I have been struggling with God's purpose for me here. Mike's is more obvious, go to school to pursue a desire that has been building in his heart for years and begin to change the world (should be easy right?), but what was I suppose to do in Seattle? August, September and October came and went, but no answers. I began to wonder if God decided to walk across the country, because I was certainly feeling rather alone. Knowing He would never lead me here and desert me, I really began praying that He would reveal what He wanted from me. What was I suppose to do here? Who was I suppose to meet? Finally he decided to "show up!"

As many of you know, we have talked about living in community with others since we decided to move. We were never quite sure what this would look like or how it would work, but trusted that when the time was right we would know. As the old saying goes, watch what you wish for. I have had this overwhelming desire and excitement about living in community with another couple, so we, after discussions with Mike and then with Craig and Beth, have decided to start looking for a house together. We are looking all over the Seattle area for a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom house where we can call "home." I am sure many of you think we are crazy, but then again we did pick up our entire lives with a 5 week old son to move to this rainy but beautiful city!?!

We are not sure what is entirely in store for us, but we do know that we have been blessed in many ways over the last several years and are trusting that we will continue to be. Will it be hard? Definitely. Will it be uncomfortable at times? Probably. Will it be an adventure of a lifetime? Hopefully. We will definitely keep you updated as all this unfolds. Please pray for wise decisions and honest hearts as we venture down a less traveled path.

Live well!
Jenn

Doctor Call

Well, Samuel had his four month check-up this week. As we all know he is a healthy baby boy. He remains in the 85th percentile for weight at 16 lbs. 7oz. and is in the 80th percentile for height at 26 1/4 in. Bad news is that at 29 in. mom and dad have to get him a new car seat! Doctor said everything looks great. He has reached all of his developmental milestones and is actually ahead of the game in the strength category. He expects that within a couple of months he will be both sitting and crawling! Ahhhh! Mike and I need to start going through he apartment on our hands and knees looking for all the baby dangers.

Samuel is battling his first cold right now. He is rather stuffy and it sounds like it is sitting in his chest. He has not had a fever or has not acted sick in anyway. He is talking an extra nap right now and seems to be sleeping in longer stretches. We will keep our eye on it and get back to the doctors if is gets any worse. Please keep him in your prayers!

Bye Gram!

Today was kind of a hard day. We had to say goodbye to Gram until Christmas. She has been here visiting for the past week and we have had a ton of fun. We went on a crazy adventure to Lacey, WA to go to a bead shop, we ventured out to Queen Anne to grab some coffee from the best coffee house in Seattle and see the city from the hill, we visited both Fremont Market and Pike's Place, we devoured warm homemade donuts, and we ate Salmon at an awesome restaurant in Green Lake. It was so nice to have family around for a while. It really makes all of us miss home and are encouraging these three years to pass quickly.

Four Legs and Four Months

Guess who is 4 months old! We can hardly believe that it was four months ago that we were blessed with our beautiful gift!

Enjoying Eating

Well the madness has begun...Samuel is eating cereal. We started yesterday with a very runny cereal/formula mix. He wasn't sure what to do with it and most of it ended up on his bib or my hands. We tried again last night and he was starting to get it. By this evening he is certainly interested. He opens big and then is not sure what to do. He kind of plays with it a bit then spits some and swallows the rest. He thinks he is hilarious and we are only encouraging it by laughing at him. We can hardly believe he is big enough for cereal already. Time flies!

Mikes mom is also here this week. It has been so nice to have family around. Unfortunately, Mike has had to work all weekend, but he did already get 2 cars out this month! Mary and I have spent time playing with Samuel, making bracelets (which will hopefully sell around here) and cooking soups. Tomorrow we are heading down to Pike's Place Market to hit all the tourist traps! Hopefully the rain will let up for us...It has only been continual for the last seven days! Yuck!

Till later-
Jenn

First Post

Yes, I finally did it. I have been debating about starting a blog for some time now. I didn't want to do it just to be in the new wave of popularity, but I wanted to have a place where I could write about what's inside.

Through this blog I intend to share what is on my mind and in my heart. Will it always be nice? Probably not, but then again life is not always nice. So, it is out there. View with caution. I intend to share what is happening in our lives on a surface basis, but also share what is happening to me, where my life is heading and how I feel about it. It maybe hard at times to hear that things are not going well, it is in these times that I ask for your support and your prayers. So you may ask, why make it public? I have learned the value of community over the past year and desire to be there with you. Living far away makes it difficult so this is my solution. I will pour it out; do with it as you please. I would love to be in conversation with you over topics that pull at your heartstrings or topics that you desire to know more about. Please comment!

Then again, you can skip all the details and just view the pictures of life in Seattle and the most handsome 4 month old who lives here. We will keep those coming on a regular basis also.

So there it is...my first blog. Enjoy!