Sevark Central

It was an awesome evening tonight with the grandkids!  Typically Friday nights are reserved for our date night and probably mostly because we’re so tired from the work week, that we’re just looking to relax.  However with the long Thanksgiving weekend, we decided to offer it up to Kami & Bentley, as they’ve helped us out many times with cutting out wood figurines for Lexine’s “Welcome to our Home” board, and with our recent family pictures.  Little did we know what we were getting into and should have guessed when Leo was a little fussy even before Bentley & Cal left.  Then Lucas joined in a bit as well and James had a poopy diaper and Sadie wouldn’t eat any dinner and only wanted a cookie. At one point Jonah came out laughing and I think even took some video of Lexine and I each with babies in our arms trying to get them to stop crying, while also helping to entertain Sadie and James!  We were utterly exhausted by the end of the 4-9pm timeframe we gave the girls and went right to bed after!  Even though the kids ran us rugged...we still sure love being with and spending time with them.  And we did manage to have a good time jumping on the trampoline, sliding, eating pizza, watching movies and sitting by the fire pit.  It was a wonderful evening with our favorite little people...  ;-)

This year's thanksgiving was quite different from previous years.  For one, the country is asking families to reduce their numbers in efforts to help prevent spreading the virus.  And I think in relation to that, many decided not to travel this year.  So instead of the large Clark family thanksgiving that we've become accustomed to annually, it was just ours and the Hemstreet families which turned out to be great -- nice and quaint, right here at in our home where there was lots of space to eat and for kids to run around and play.  As far as the food went, we didn't miss a thing, but did miss seeing so much of the extended family we only get to visit with that once per year.  We had uncle Dave's famous turkey & gravy, as well as his brisket!  And to me, that's was the food that mattered most...  It was a nice time with all of us together.

This evening we said ‘goodbye’ to Maizey for one last time as she was down from school for a quick little break of a friends wedding and to see Noah now that he’s back as well as Jonah going through the temple.  Unfortunately she had to leave before Thanksgiving since she had work back in Rexburg, ID. But it was very nice to have her with us for this week!  It wasn’t as hard as a goodbye for us this time since she’ll be coming home in 3 weeks after graduating from BYU-Idaho!  However, it was a little more difficult for her to say goodbye to Jonah since he’ll be leaving on his mission next week for the next two years.  We’ll be seeing you soon enough Maizey!  

Well, family pictures once again -- thank goodness it only happens once per year, and luckily it worked out so that we could take them right after Noah returned from his mission, Maizey on a quick break from school and right before Jonah left on his mission -- only Caleb was missing this year as in past years we've had up to two kids out serving.  Pictures took on a whole new meaning this year as the grandkids are old enough to run and pay no mind to their parents or anyone else for that matter.  The last thing they wanted to as this neat place we were at is stand still and smile...they wanted to run around and explore!  We were over near Warner & Higley at the silos landmark over that way and it really was a beautiful location.  Bentley used her photography skills and I'm sure a little Photoshop manipulation to bring it all together and make it work out.  But it was an adventure to say the least...we survived another year!  Afterwards everyone came over to our home for Pizzas and visiting. I think next year we'll make it much easier by just taking them right out front of our home...  ;-)

This was an amazing evening as Jonah went through the temple for his first time.  What an awesome evening it was from so many aspects.  Due to Covid-19, the temple has been closed except for special situation like missionaries about to leave -- which made it even more special since it was only our family in the temple, just all of us together (except for Caleb who is on his mission where he should be)...luckily Maizey was able to fly in just a couple hours before to join us from BYU-Idaho. The temple organizers had asked us all to meet at the temple at 6:20pm, so we were all there waiting at the gate when they texted to see if we were all ready to come in -- which we texted we were.  Then a couple moments later, an older guy came and unlocked the gate to let us in and gave us some instruction, which was the start of our amazing evening of having the entire temple all to ourselves.  Afterwards we had planned to go back to our house for ice cream sundaes, but it was about 9pm and mothers needed to get home to their little ones...so we saved them for another evening.  10 years have gone by since our family came together -- we just recently hit our 10 year mark last month -- so this was an awesome anniversary present to be altogether.  This night never crossed my thoughts 10 years ago, but oh what joy we felt seeing how far we've all come and the great decisions of these wonderful children of ours.  Great job Jonah!  Thanks for being prepared and worth to make this evening happen...we sure love you.

It was a great day at church today...it was Jonah's farewell and Noah's homecoming talks on the same day!  Not too many families get that experience, but it was a wonderful family day and event for us. Lexine and Kami even played a medley for the musical number for it, which made the day extra special.  They both did great jobs...I told Jonah he set the bar high with how great his talk was, now he's got to try to top it when he returns home in two years!  And Noah has the confidence of a returned missionary and burning testimony, so he gave a great report of his mission very naturally and comfortably.  Afterwards, we all came home for a brunch with all the family -- so we had a packed house of people eating waffles, breakfast casserole, donuts and fruit.  It was an awesome day!  

Tonight was one of the nights I always dread as Jonah was set as a missionary and entering the MTC the next day.  We've done that with each one of our kids and although these are very spiritual events in our lives, they are emotionally draining for me saying goodbye.  Jonah's setting apart was pretty much just like all the others with one exception, his MTC experience starts at home rather than us getting up very early in the morning to take him to the airport and seeing him off for two years.  Most of our large family was there, except for Maizey & Caleb who were away at school and on his mission.  President Rogers went around the room asking everyone to give some advice to Jonah -- with everyone there being returned missionaries, it was some good words of wisdom provided to him.  Then he was set apart as a missionary!  President Rogers encouraged Jonah to write down as much as he could remember as his first entry in his journal -- which we remembered we hadn't gotten him a mission journal yet -- so we rushed to Walmart to find out. (Walmart was eerily empty due to it being the election night and everyone was glued to their TV's watching who would be the next President of the United States -- which we didn't find out until days after). Tomorrow he starts the MTC online from home -- so no saying goodbye this time -- Yet!  He'll leave on December 2nd for his reassignment to the Michigan Lansing Mission! But until then, it was a wonderful evening for a wonderful son -- Good job Jonah, we're sure proud of you! 

 It was a long but great day for Elder Clark returning home from the Washington Spokane Mission.  His first flight of the day was super early in the morning to Seattle, then had to catch another flight from Seattle back home where we were all waiting anxiously at the airport to meet him!  Porter & Amy, as well as Bentley & Kids who came with Grandma Clark, made it right in the nick of time as they were walking up just as Noah walked through the security exit for us to greet him!  He looked great...he has that glow of a returned missionary!  We visited Grandma Glasgow on our way home, then picked up Tia Rosa's take-out for lunch for all the brothers & sisters at home waiting to visit some more.  At 6:00pm he met with President Rogers, and Lexine and I joined him -- which was a nice spiritual experience to be there while he was released. But then we raced home for his openhouse that started at 6:30pm.  Lots of friends and family there to visit and welcome him home!  It was a great day for him and he looked great -- we're glad to have him back home with us...

Can't believe this kid is 20 years old now!  He celebrated his birthday in the mission field with the elders he's living with and from the looks of it, he had a great time!  They went out to eat at Longhorn Steakhouse, his zone leaders decorated his door and the sister missionaries who live next door made him a cake.  He bought himself the game spikeball for his present.  Looks like it was a great day!  We were thinking of you -- Happy Birthday Caleb!