January
Welcome William Aaron King!
Is there a better way to start off a new year than with a sweet new little baby boy! Aaron is so good natured! He's fussed over and adored by all of us.
 |
 |
 |
| Indian Princess Outing in Milwaukee WI (Jen's in the pink & blue suit) Chris is Red Beaver, Jennifer is Lily Fair |
Well, after nearly three years, I have now been released as Primary President. The first thought that went through my head was "But that's MY Primary. How can they take ME our of MY primary!?" It will be hard to sit in Sunday School or RS when there is so much I could be doing in Primary. There are so many ways I can be of good use rather than sit and listen to someone talk about becoming a virtuous woman.
I must say though, with a new baby and trying to get the back porch converted to a bedroom, I'm feeling such relief in not having so much to do and worry about in Primary! (We were in a two bedroom home so having 4 kids in one room wasn't working very well. Our back "den" wasn't heated and had no closet so we've been trying to convert it. Exciting!)
 |
| Tickertape parade from Chris's office building, Chicago IL Bears won the Superbowl |
February
|
 |
 |
| Jennifer's baptism day! |
Mom and Dad came for Jennifer's baptism and we celebrated everyone's birthday!! It was really fun and the time went so fast I feel like I dreamed it. There are echoes of a good time manifested in various ways around the house so I'm sure they were really here, ha ha. I felt homesick when they left. The next life will be so joyful to be with loved ones forever and never have to say goodbye.
At the baptism, Dad talked about the Holy Ghost and Mom played piano while Jennifer sang a song that I wrote called "To Be A Mormon". Sharilyn was supposed to sing too but she got scared. We got many wonderful pictures and then discovered days later that there was no film in the camera! I am just sick about it.
Mom and Dad Clarke gave Jen scriptures for her birthday. All on her own she set a goal to read 2 chapters per night and she is doing that! She even tells us what she read about!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
March
 |
Happy Birthday Sharilyn!  |
 |
| Emily feeding Mickey Mouse to the alligator |
Emily came running in to me crying and rubbing her nose saying "My beep, my beep!" Ha ha, I guess she bumped her nose and thought it was called a beep because we touch her nose and say "Beep!" Ha ha, cutie pie. Then there's the time I found her washing her hands and feet and the floor and the rug with toothpaste!
Excursion to Nauvoo and to see Halley's comet. (see next page)
Journal: What a beautiful Easter with temperature in the 80's. Jennifer gave a very good talk for Easter Sunday. She does it with little fear and has good confidence. We were proud of her.
Last month (in addition to luncheon chairman in RS) I got called to be nursery leader. There are 17 children. That was the hardest position to fill while I was Primary President & I always said I'd be happy to take that calling so here I am! I just love those little ones and we have fun together.
Sharilyn gave our FHE lesson. She drew several pictures. One was of baptism and she told us a little about it. One was of children watching tv and she told us how we shouldn't watch too much. She drew Jennifer grouchy and said it's because she gets grouchy if she watches too much ha ha. --Sharilyn has decided she wants to run a pet shop when she grows up.
 |
| Happy Birthday Emily!! |
Picture this: A little blond girl with shoulder length ragdoll mop of hair; big dark eyes, holding a dolly under one arm and pushing a little grocery cart full of the contents of our bathroom cabinet with the other arm, singing cheerfully "EIEIO!" That is our Emily. She was so cute on her birthday. She saw the presents and just couldn't wait. She had a huge smile and giggle and hopping around saying "open, open peese". She rips off the paper and say "Oh tute!" before even seeing what was in the box! ha ha. She was really fun. This past month her prayers have been so cute. She kneels by the bed and jabbers away in tones she's heard in other's prayers and now and then throw in a "mommy" or someone else's name. Such a cutie.
 |
 |
 |
| Sanding sheetrock in Jennifer's bedroom (converted back porch into a bedroom) |
May
I guess I must be getting older. A magazine salesman came to the door and after asking me if all those kids were mine he said "why you don't look a day over 27". I almost told him that it was because I was only 26 but I decided not to lie.
Aaron is growing so fast. He is just adorable. He's started sucking his thumb so I better get him a pacifier.
Emily is talking so cute. She is full of mischief but it's so cute.
Jennifer & Sharilyn are growing up so sweetly and learning to work well.
I went with Jennifer to sign her up for orchestra at school next year.
June
Vacation to Rexburg (see next page)
 |
 |
 |
  |
July
 |
| Jack Spangenburger and Chris Enjoying 4th of July with neighbors Lisa Cachionne & Emily |
We got to spend time in family cabins ($80 for the week) while Chris had scout camp. A lot of work for Chris and fun and relaxing for us. Cabins have a fridge and stove so we can cook our food and heat water. We really enjoyed it. No TV, no radio, no phones, no traffic or sirens - just peace and quiet in the beautiful woods. There's a lake and row boat. Jennifer got to go with Chris and the boys on a raft in the river. I put Aaron down for a nap and while he slept I took Sharilyn and Em out in the row boat. We all went for a walk near by through a bog. It's fascinating. Feels like walking on a giant sponge.
Chris had a business trip to Boston after camp. He got to see Br. Murphy.
Jen & Shar are enrolled in a summer reading program at the library. We go each day to report on a book read and move the fish thru the sea with the goal of getting to the treasure box - which they get to open and get a treasure!
Emily is so cute but hard to keep track of outside. She is potty trained and seemed to do this all by herself. Just decided to do it! She also talks and talks ha ha.
Aaron is sure growing. He loves to eat and has remarkable coordination in his hands. He can scoot anywhere he wants to go but still can't sit up really well.
August
 |
| A visit from Don & Anne Christensen |
Sept
Well the girls are off to their first day of school. They seem so grown up. They were a bit nervous and it made think of all my nervous first days of school. (I am a room mother for Jennifer's class)
Emily is in great spirits - singing away as usual - such a doll. Aaron is crawling all over. He keeps trying to eat or mutilate his daddy's scout manual. Chris thinks that is rather cute of him.
|
|
My grandpa Klingler passed away this month. One of my favorite memories of him is walking to Grandma and pa's house after school (at Ricks) and hearing him singing away "Have I done any good in the world today". The reason I love that hymn is because of him.
We didn't go to the funeral. Aaron was overnight in the hospital. He suddenly got really sick with a high fever and lethargic. He had mild pneumonia, ear infection and a virus in his intestines. He got better really fast. Poor little guy kept rubbing his ear. The rest of us are fine except for my mind. I was my turn to load the dishwasher & I filled the soap dispenser with rice cereal instead of detergent.
October
Jennifer is so excited playing viola in orchestra. We rent a viola for $10/mo. She made peanut butter cookies all by herself Monday for FHE dessert. Jen has brownies on Mondays, sports on Tues and Indian Princess every other Monday. Sharilyn is excited to be in Indian Princess group this year. Her name is Sun Song.
 |
| Apple picking in Wauconda IL |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Cara, Carolyn, Becky, Jennifer, Drew, Brent, Kathy, Emily, Christopher Neighborhood party at our house. Made pumpkin pies, donuts and hot spiced cider. We had a full house! (20 adults and 18 kids) |
 |
 |
November
Lincoln Park Zoo
 |
 |
 |
 |
Sharilyn is so funny. The other day I heard "Mom! Come in my room!" I go into nice clean room. "How nice!" I say surprised. "You cleaned your room!" "Yep! I just scooted everything under the bed!" she said very proudly. Then noticing my changed expression she looks a bit confused and adds "well, some of it I scooted under the dresser."
Emily wanted me to put pony tails in her hair. She looked in the mirror and said "Oh! I Pippi Longstocking!" and now she asks for Pippi Longstockings in her hair. ha ha
Aaron's favorite thing is to pull out plugs from the wall and empty silverware out of the dishwasher as fast as I can put it in! ha ha
December
 |
| 1st Orchestra recital Northbrook Jr High |
 |
 |
| Happy Birthday Aaron 1 year old! :) |
(December we went to Rexburg so Christmas & Aaron's 1st birthday is on the next page.)
More kid stories
Jennifer's good friend, Adam Rosenfeld is Jewish. Jennifer often prays that Jesus would help all the Jews to believe in Him.
We were hiking and Shar fell and got a scratch. Jen whipped a bandaid out of her pocket and said that she was prompted that someone would get hurt and so that's why she had a bandaid in her pocket. Jennifer is always thinking ahead - all on her own!
At only 8 years old, Jen was asked by a neighbor with two girls, if she could come babysit just for a short time. She came home and told us that she got scared while she was there and prayed to the Lord for courage and said she would accept less money if the Lord would help her not be afraid.
Jen did the cutest thing. She went into our room and made our bed and then wrote a little note that said "I love you Mom and Dad. Love Jen" She then made Shar's bed and left a note for her. :)
Sharilyn wants to be a pet store owner when she grows up. She also said she wanted to be a farmer and she would get rich selling rabbits for $12.50 and roasted marshmallows for 50 cents.
Sharilyn told us that running gets your heart more intelligent.
I asked Shar if she'd keep an eye on Emily and she said "Sure, in fact I'll keep two eyes on her!"
