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| Back: Cathy Gibbons, Molly Hodgen, Melinda Kniss, Gee Hae Park, JoAnna Boerner Front: Sara Lybolt, Laura Henson, Sharilyn, Laura Petelle Jennifer, Grace Smyer, Emily |
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| SeonYoung, Melissa, Jenni, Kelly Jennifer, Emily, Melissa, Sharilyn, Greta Sharilyn's had an early 8th Birthday party with her friends before we left Northbrook |
Leaving Northbrook
Feb 13
Well we've made it so far. Yesterday the movers loaded everything onto the van. It was one hassle after another. They tracked black on the new carpet so I flattened boxes and asked them to please walk on those to protect our carpet. They then brought in a tarp.
We had pizza for dinner at Debbie Coulter's. She has done so much for us. It was so hard to say good-bye. Emily and Cari have been best buddies and play almost every day. It was hard to see these little three and a half year olds hugging and crying. Cari said in a frantic voice "Mommy can I go over to Emily's for a little while. We had to explain to her that we weren't living there anymore. She cried and said "I want to go with you! Why can't you just stay where you are?" That made Debbie cry and I cried and well...it was just so hard.
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| Cari Coulter & Emily at Coulter's |
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| Aaron, Emily, Lindsey, Cari |
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| Peter & Rosemary Anderson came by to bid us farewell and we took pictures of each other. |
Yesterday when I picked up the girls from school I went to Sharilyn and she was bouncy and excited and happy. Then I went down Jen's hall and she was there sobbing with 5 or 6 gathered around, some crying and some trying to cheer her with a hug, candy or homemade card. It was hard to see our home, neighborhood, friends, school etc. for the last time. I received many phone calls telling us goodbye and sorry we were leaving. Several neighbors dropped by to say goodbye and a couple brought baked goods.
Sun Valley Idaho
March
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| Sharilyn's Baptism! |
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| Whitney Chandler and Sharilyn The Chandler family are the best people you could ever meet. They have scooped us up like family and done so much for us. |
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| Dad gave a talk and Jennifer played "I am a Child of God" in Shar's baptism. |
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| Sawtooth Software outing |
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| Made it into the local paper! |
April
We are living in Hulen Meadows in Ketchum ID. Chris works in Sun Valley only 3.5 miles away. We love having him so close and will not miss the long commute. Rich Johnson loaned him a bike and he rides to work often. I love that he can now attend activities at the elementary school just a few minutes away.
We cross the Wood River to get into Hulen Meadows and every time we do the kids all say "There's the wood, there's the wood, there's the Wood River!" We love going to the river to play. Emily and Aaron love to dig channels and dams and bridges along the river.
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| Our home |
I was called to be spiritual living RS teacher. Chris was called to be 1st Counselor in the Branch Presidency. There are about 260 members of the branch but only about 60 active. Our family makes up 40% of the primary ha ha.
We've had lots and lots of family come to visit and to see Sun Valley.
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| Adams Gulch with Steve and Dave, Katie & David Birch |
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| This is the hill across from our house |
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| Aaron loves his "bink" |
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| Aaron age 2. This is out of focus but shows the cool rocker the kids love to play with on our beautiful deck |
June
We have Jenny signed up for viola lessons. She is having the hardest time with this move. She misses her friends and her orchestra group that she had 3 days a week. We let her call some friends on Saturday. Sadly, they don't have orchestra in the school here. It was so sad for her to turn in her viola. We have purchased a viola for her in Boise. The closest teacher we could find is in Twin Falls, about an hour and a half drive so I only go every other week. It's nice to do some shopping while we're there too so I keep a running list going. Jennifer has also joined a girl scout troop and she got on the honor roll. :)
Sharilyn has joined Brownies. She won 1st place in the science fair!
Emily started singing "Mary had a little" then she stopped and thought and then started again..."Mary had a little"... I thought I'd help her out and said "Lamb, Emily. Mary had a little lamb." "No Mom. She had something different. There are two Mary's. One had a lamb and one had Jesus." Wow. Out of the mouths of babes. What a sweet thought. I was very touched by that spiritual utterance. It actually made me wonder more deeply about that song...Mary having a little lamb.
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| An outing to Craters of the Moon |
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| This is a favorite seesaw rocker! |
We went to Rexburg for the 4th of July
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| Uncle Richard, Grandma Clarke's brother-in-law, is a photographer and took family pictures when they came to visit from California. (Peggy & Richard McFate) |
Aug
We went to Rexburg for a wedding reception of Chris's cousin, had a Klingler family reunion and to the Idaho Falls Temple. We took the kids to the zoo, had a picnic in the park, ate snow cones and visited lots of family. It was delightful.
We took Dannah home with us for 5 days but she was mostly homesick the whole time until we drove her home to Hamer. We had a picnic by the river, went ice-skating at the Sun Valley rink, played in the playground, floated in the river on big black inner tubes, went swimming at Bald Mt. hot springs and played board games. The Lagger kids next door joined us in several activities. On the day we floated in the river I had the 8 kids, a big dog and the five big inner tubes in the car! It was an adventure!
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| Sawtooth Software crew Chris, Rich Johnson, Joe Curry Judy Johnson, Shari, Margo Metegrano, missing Sue Weiss |
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We all love to ride our bikes down to the river. (Wood River) We built a sandbox down there by encircling a sand bank with a small stone wall.
Sept
Labor day weekend is huge here. The big Wagon Days Parade is motorless...all horse drawn. We earn budget money selling refreshments in a booth that the Elders Q built. (We earned about $1,000 after expenses). Jen and Shar got to ride in the parade in a horse drawn wagon with their GSA and Brownie troup.
We had many tourists in church -over 500! It was my turn to teach RS and Sister Franklin D. Richards was in my class. I was so flattered to have her come up to me after class and introduce herself and tell me how inspiring the lesson was. She's very sweet and very old.
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Chris was ordained a High Priest. Mom and Dad Clarke came for the occasion and Dad ordained him.
Deanna Pooley, Mayrene Stewart and I are going to be teaching pre-school at the church. Pres. Chandler gave us permission to use the nursery. Dawn Lager next door is going to let Christen come as well. We have the whole semester planned and organized with various themes and field trips.
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The girls are happy in school and love their teachers and have made many friends. We had some new families move into the branch and two of them have a 10 year old. I'm so thrilled that there's someone Jen's age now. I've been praying for that. One of the families is named Pooley and I think Deanna and I will be "bosom friends" as Anne Shirley would say.
Sept 20 It is a most gorgeous morning. The hills got a light frosting of snow last night. It looks so pretty with the white hills while all around us is green and the low misty clouds artistically draped on the mountains by the hand of the greatest master. The air is most unusual! A crisp clean air smell of pine, cedar and green. It makes you feel wonderful to breath!
I love our reading in the scriptures each morning before school and work. I have found a tremendous feeling of love and closeness to those great individuals who sacrificed so much to preserve and bring forth the great record of truth that we all so easily have today. I have a constant desire and need to read the words- not always for the words themselves, although that too, but for the beautiful spirit that fills my soul each time. I love the scriptures and I love those who made it possible for us to have them and I love the Lord and desire to do anything asked of me to help build up the Lord's Kingdom in these latter days in preparation of that glorious time so looked forward to when Christ returns to the Earth again. I think about it all the time and am filled with such joy in it's anticipation. I feel like I am not here just to live but to bring about the fulfillment of the Lord's work.
Sept 24 we went to Rexburg and got to ride in the homecoming parade! A couple years ago our Klingler family was chosen Outstanding Family of the Year! In this Centennial year they had all the Family of the Year people ride in gorgeous horse drawn wagons (also a red pick up drawing a red wagon.) We all wore red shirts and it was really fun and special! Mom and Dad Clarke rode in the presidents float.
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Oct
We have enjoyed such a beautiful fall. With 9 kids and a big white dog, we hiked through the pretty colors to a mountain beyond the hill across the street from our house and found up there in the woods a natural spring still flowing after this dry summer. It was all green and grassy around it and so quite and peaceful and what a gorgeous view of the town below. It would be leaf raking time soon in Northbrook. Most of our trees here are pine of young aspen.
Nov Jennifer won first place in the Veterans Day essay contest! She excitedly brought home her certificate and a $5.00 award!
The "think snow" signs have worked and there is excitement in the air over the snow glistening on the ground. I taught Jennifer's girl scout troop because the leaders were out of town. We worked on the babysitting/childcare patch.
Dec
We spent Christmas at home in Sun Valley and then in Rexburg.
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| Good Citizen Award! |
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| David as Santa with our kids and cousins at Klinglers |
Ward Christmas Party
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| Jennifer, Sharilyn, Whitney Chandler Emily & Aaron Ward Christmas program |
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| Our first Sun Valley Christmas |
Christmas is so charming in Sun Valley. We listened to the SV Carolers dressed in old fashioned coats, bonnets, top hats, mufflers etc singing beautiful carols with harmony that resonates with the soul. They also play hand bells which just seems to ring in Christmas! We watched the torch light parade come down Dollar Mountain and then on a sleigh came Santa Claus!
Misc:
Based on Jen's outfit and the aprox age of kids, this photo looks like July or August 1988 in SLC. ???
