Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy Birthday!
Much love from Utah.

Merry Christmas

So many gifts this year to be thankful for.. salvation, life, health, home, marriage, children, family-near and far, dear friends, education, love, the greatest gift of all is the light and life and hope that Jesus Christ brings us.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

We made it! Happy Birthday Sara & Emma

12 months ago we went in for a routine (well as routine as it gets with a high-risk identical twin pregnancy) OB appointment and than went into the hospital to bring Sara and Emma into the world. We knew that they would probably come early but we didn't know that they would come over a month early. We were scared but excited to welcome them into the world. That day was a wonderful one in that they were finally here, but it was also very hard in that the girls had to be wisked into the NICU becuase they both had blood sugar issues,(not uncommon with twins) and Emma liked to just stop breathing. The nurses all assured us that the girls were a good size and that I would probably get to have them in my room within a few hours and for sure by the morning. Well the next morning came and we still did not get to have our babies and we went to the NICU to find, (what I think was probably the worst bed-side mannered Neonatologist) She said that the healthy girls that we let go to the NICU the day before, were not doing so great and that they needed to stay for a while possibly weeks and that we should not hold or touch Emma! Devastating news. But the girls and their mom, defied those orders. Mom said over and over that her girls would be home by Christmas, or the new year at the latest--and they were! They were tiny and couldn't leave the house for months, but they came home. There were lots of bumps in the road along the way. Emma had to wear a apnea/breathing monitor day and night and it seemed like Sara constantly cried when she was awake. But we made it! Today we celebrate their first birthday and also the strength of a mother and a father and enduring love. We celebrate Hannah and the sweet love she gives to each of her sisters. We celebrate friends and family who helped us along the way. We celebrate the strength that our faith has given us. Today we celebrate 2 little miracles that have blessed our lives more than we can ever express. Happy Birthday Sara & Emma!

Clark Family Christmas Letter

(Nathan told me not to worry about this, noting "we have never done this before, why start now?" I was adamant about letting people know what is going on in the Clark corner of the world. With all of the changes that have happened in the last 12 months, I thought it completely necessary. Most people getting out Christmas card would wonder what is going on, just by the postmark, some people don't know that we have moved or that we had twins, so here goes, it may be a little longer than the usual “Christmas Letter” but I haven’t written one in ten years...)

The Clark Family Timeline

December 2007
Nathan, Melissa, and proud big sister Hannah welcome identical twins Sara & Emma into the world 5 weeks early on December 17, 2007! Weighing in at 6 lbs. and 6 lbs. 10 oz. respectively, the babies each spent about a week in the NICU before coming home. Grandma & Grandpa Clark came to stay for a few weeks to help us around the house and to get to know the babies.
January 2008
The proud parents were bleary eyed and sleep deprived. Nathan returned to work, Hannah to school, and Melissa handled taking care of the new babies the best she could, with a few delicious meals from friends and family to help keep everyone fed!
February 2008
Nathan and Melissa left the house for the first time, together, without the babies and Grandma & Grandpa Hedburg were dubbed "Chief Baby Watchers". Nathan began the production of Anne of Green Gables for Youth Theatre Workshop, the local children's theatre that Melissa co-founded.
March 2008
Melissa turned 30! It was no big deal, she hardly even noticed that it happened. Grandma & Grandpa Clark, Nathan's brother Colin, his wife Heather, and their twin boys, Carter & Tyler come out to freezing and snowy Minnesota for the baby blessing of the girls.
April 2008
Hannah appeared in YTW’s production of Anne of Green Gables as Minnie May Barry. Melissa found time to start a family blog to detail the events of the family.
May 2008
Hannah turns 9! Melissa was very smart to have her birthday at the local community center water park to avoid any set-up or clean-up. Hannah appears in YTW’s production Disney’s Aladdin Jr. The babies both learned to roll-over!
June 2008
Melissa, Hannah, Sara, & Emma began to enjoy the summer together. Since Melissa started teaching, this was the first summer she had off. The babies started some solid foods. Sara and Emma met Great-Grandma Hanson.
July 2008
We had a 4th of July garage sale! Nathan became a Cub Scout leader for our church. Hannah decided to cut her hair almost all the way to the scalp at her bangs. (Check out our blog, we have a great video of her explaining why!) Nathan and Melissa celebrate 10 years of wedded bliss!
August 2008
We took a much needed and deserved family vacation to Nauvoo, Illinois (a historic Mormon Church settlement and the place where we went on our honeymoon.) We also stopped at the SPAM Museum in Austin, MN.
September 2008
Hannah began the school year at a wonderful new school, Kaleidoscope Charter School. There she got to be in many classes with her cousin Isaac. Nathan was abruptly laid off from Carlson Marketing Worldwide due to cut-backs after over 6 years of faithful service.
October 2008
We decided to move to Las Vegas, NV to live with Nathan’s parents and re-group a little, but after further consideration made a switch to Eagle Mountain, Utah-a fast-growing city near Salt Lake City and Provo. Nathan’s dad, Rod, drives with us all the way from Minnesota; the trip took 3 days. It was unexpected and crazy, and we miss all of our friends and family in Minnesota, but it was the right move for us.
November 2008
Hannah started school at a new school—Lakeview Academy, another charter school, with her UT cousins! Nathan decided to start a new career—teaching, with a little economic supplementation from a 2nd job at the local Wal-Mart. Melissa loves the discount!
December 2008
Sara & Emma turn 1 year old! Both sets of grandparents made the trek out for the big event. Things are kind of quiet, with no children’s theatre to run, and no boards to sit on, yet. But we love it! We are grateful for our full year, our three beautiful daughters, and our roof over our heads. We are grateful for our 10 amazing years together. We are grateful for the peace that the Christmas season brings and for the trials and triumphs we have been blessed with. Most of all we are grateful for the neighbors, friends, and family that have shared this truly memorable year with us.

May the humble peace that Jesus Christ brought so many years ago be with you this year and always!
The Clark Family
Nathan·Melissa·Hannah·Sara·Emma
Check out family photos and current events at http://theclarkcorner.blogspot.com/ or email us at Nathan_melissaclark@hotmail.com

Everything in twos!

Everything is different with twins and my girls have always have a buddy. They play together and get into trouble together. The other day I was hanging laundry in our walk-in closet, so I couldn't see them, but they were right in my toddler-proofed bedroom, so I figured I was OK. All of a sudden I hear this roaring giggling and I looked out to see that they had both crawled into the bathroom. They thought they were so funny because they had sneaked away into the bathroom. They both crawl now, Sara started on Oct 30th and Emma on Nov 1st. They have gotten so big that they can no longer sleep in the same crib. It turns out that Emma really likes to play with a.k.a pull Sara's little pony tails so we have them separated now. I thought that they would never be able to sleep apart because they have slept together since we brought them home from the NICU. I was wrong, they slept great. That was it my little babies are now going to be toddlers!

This is the girls catching a ride downstairs with Daddy. (Sara is on the left and Emma on the right.) They are almost too big for me to carry them together.

Happy Thanksgiving!

These are the pies I baked with Hannah this year with her cousins, Abby & Harrison.

This year especially, I am grateful for many blessings...

• Grateful for my faith and for the atonement of Jesus Christ, and forgiveness.
• Grateful for my husband , who loves me
• Grateful for our three girls, who light up our life, sometimes at 3am!
• Grateful for my parents, past and present, and for the things that they have taught me
• Grateful for siblings
• Grateful for nieces and nephews
• Grateful for a home to live in
• Grateful for wonderful friends, new and old
• Grateful for Thanksgiving dinner to cook
• Grateful for talents
• Grateful for trials and challenges

I grateful for so many things, too many to list everything. I am grateful!

Bath Time!

You will notice that this tub is white without the mold that grew under the shower panels in our old house! I feel a lot better giving the girls a bath in this bath!

Happy Birthday!

As you can see from the pictures, it is not easy getting two little busy bodies to both look in the same direction and be cute at the same time, so take your pick!

Yes, that is Sara on the left, she is giving Emma a run for her money.

Totally identical in this pic...

Sara is cracking up, it must have been something that Emma said.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful little girls! I cannot believe it has been 11 months already! Next month we are having a 1st birthday party on Saturday December 13th, if you have any extra frequent flier miles, or happen to work for an airline, or are planning on being in town you are totally invited to a Twinerific 1st Birthday!

More moving details...

We left quite late on that Sunday, ugh, it just seemed like no matter how hard we pushed there was more to pack, clean, load, etc. Rod & Hannah left in the big rig 10:30ish and Nathan, the babies, Dojo, and I left I want to say 2ish. We fit everything we could possibly fit into the big rig, the cab and back of the truck, and in our van, and on top of the van. We cleaned the floors and fridge, made little piles in the garage for my dad and Jamie to help us take care of (Goodwill, Garbage, Boxes, Stuff we couldn't fit, etc.)--super big thanks by the way, and locked the doors and left! It was snowing, the weather and roads were horrible. I drove and Nathan said the prayers. The girls were great travelers. We made it to Lincoln, NE the first night. We stayed at a hotel thanks to Rod's travelers points. We even got to see our long time friends Adam & Ahnah & Family. We had breakfast with them on Monday morning, got to see their new house quick and hit the road. We got to Cheyenne, WY that night and relaxed in a super-seedy motel. I found a tin of tobacco under the covers-um, yuk! But it was again free, thanks to Rod's points. We left early that Tuesday morning, like 7:00 and drove pretty much straight to Eagle Mountain, UT--stopping only for gas and a quick bite once. We made great time. As soon as the big rig arrived at our new house about 10 guys were there to help unload it. Everything was in the house, basement, or garage within an hour. We had gas, power, and water set-up, but the phone, internet, DSL were another story!! We are still working on our cells that don't work in our house or on our block but, we have internet and directv, so we are doing ok. Hannah went to her new school on Thursday and loved it! We are getting everything unpacked and making it feel more like "home".

We made it! Home Sweet Home

It is beautiful here! I love my new house. We finally have internet and will soon have phone and TV too. Our stupid Qwest cell phones don't work here in this city so we are switching to Verizon. Our phone numbers will stay the same. I will post pics of the new house and our trip out as soon as I get a free moment. Thanks again to all of you who helped us pack and move. We love you!