Hammond thus far!!

So we have been in Hammond for a little over a week now and we are adjusting. We like our new place a lot and we (well I) really like that Target is 3 exits from my house! I find that if I am having a bad day all I have to do is run to Target and look around. It seems to make all things better!! haha

Things we love about Hammond are:
our ice machine in our refridge
the closeness to New Orleans and shopping
the Walmart lines!! (we counted 6 cashiers waiting to check people out!! It was AMAZING!!)

Things we miss about Ruston:
My phone actually working in my house
Cable!!
Emmanuel!! (we miss it A LOT!!)
Friend!

Here are some pictures of things that have been going on..

Our first meal in our new home..haha

Jackson putting his hand print on our homemade Christmas skirt..=)

Thanks Nana!

Hammond Christmas Parade.. Look at all those beads!

Ready for the parade!

Ready for the Christmas deal that the BCM!! It was a blast!!

The Bidding is Over

Thank you so much for the bids you placed on the print from Robyn Crumby for the adoption. The bidding is over and the print is sold! Thank you much!

Hammond here we are!

So we are all moved in. That doesn't mean we have everything in place but all the boxes are off the truck and the truck has been returned. We are trying to adjust and get everything in some sort of order. It has been so hard to figure out where to place stuff and how to decorate. I have never been very good at decorating so moving is a stretch!
Things we love about Hammond so far are: 2 WORKING bathrooms, the students at the BCM, and the quietness of our new place.
Things we miss about Ruston: our friends, knowing where everything is, 943 Sybil...

The current bid for the painting is: $125

Our current bid

As of today, Sunday, at 4:39pm, the current bid on the item below is at $100! Thanks for helping us bring our baby home.

If you would like to bid, read the post below for instruction.

A chance to give on this Thanksgiving!!

Our wonderfully talented, sweet, generous, and kind friend is doing a fundraiser for our adoption. She has painted a beautiful painting to be auctioned off starting today and ending on December 7th. The way this will work is you can start bidding by posting a comment on our blogs, emailing Jonathan(jonathanclark00@gmail.com) or me(flowerblue1@hotmail.com), or on facebook. The bidding is starting at $55. ALL the money will go to bring home our sweet little one from Ethiopia!! Let the bidding begin!!!


www.robyncrumby.blogspot.com
www.clarkfamilyadopts.blogspot.com

Happy Late Halloween!

What an eventful Halloween! It started on Friday. We trick-or-treated at local businesses in downtown Ruston. It was so much fun and our favorite part was the gummy eyeballs given out by the blind center. Friday night we went to the BCM for the Halloween dance. It was so much fun seeing all the creative costumes and hanging out with students. On Saturday night we went trick-or-treating in a neighborhood with our church family/friends. It was loads of fun and Jackson got tons of GOOD candy. Not just gummy eyeballs but ring pops and good chocolate! Then to top the Halloween weekend off we went to our church Pumpkin Patch. We played games, ate nachos, and once again filled the bucket with candy! Overall, a fantastic
Halloween weekend!!

I want to be a good blogger but...

So, I want to be a good blogger but these days it has been really difficult to find time. One of the main reasons is that we only have one good computer, which sounds so lame considering that the majority of the world is completely clueless as to what a computer even is, but once Jonathan gets home to where I can actually use the computer I either don't want to or want to just be together as a family. So, since Jonathan and Jackson are watching a Sesame Street ABC movie before bed tonight I decided it was time to blog... Also because we are moving.. Yes we are leaving Ruston and moving to Hammond, LA. Jonathan got a job being the BCM director at Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU). We are super excited about the adventure yet really sad to leave the place that caused us to be better. Ruston has been the place where we learned each other, had Jackson, watched him grow into a sweet little man, made amazing friends, and SO much more. It was our FIRST of a lot of things and it will always hold a special place in our hearts! We are so sad to go but know that the Lord is leading us and we desire to be obedient above all else. =)

Jonathan had a birthday. He made 34. His parents came to visit and we all had a great time. They spoiled us rotten and I think we all gained about 10 pounds.

Jackson is becoming quite proficient with his new bicycle he received for his birthday back in September.

OUR BABY TURNS 3!

Jackson turned 3 this past Friday. We had a very eventful week! We started off the week by watching Toy Story 3 in Tech's football stadium. It was a very cool experience.


On Thursday, we had a cupcake drop-in in which loads of students and friends came to celebrate Jackson's birthday! He had so much fun!



On Friday, Mimi and PaPa came into town. We opened gifts and headed to Chuck-E-Cheese. He had LOADS of fun eating pizza and playing games. We left there and ate ice cream.



On Saturday, Jonathan, Jackson and PaPa went to Lowe's to build something while Mom and I went shopping. We met up for lunch and off to ride Jacksons new bike!=) After a much needed nap we went swimming and then ate dinner.




It was so much fun celebrating all weekend! We are so thankful for him and so impressed with just how sweet and smart he is. We are overwhelmed with love for him and thankful to our God for trusting us with him!! Words could never express just how much these last 3 years have meant to us!

Please Pray!!

Visit our adoption blog!!!

the end of summer!!

Although college students are still three weeks from starting classes, we are done with our "summer schedule" and back up and running full steam! We have completed our vast amounts of travel (4,942 total miles traveled...not including air travel) and are back to our normal schedule. Erin has started babysitting a 6 month old every day from 7:30 to 3:30. I have been working full days in preparation for the Fall Quarter. Jackson has QUICKLY gotten back on a schedule of going to bed a decent hour and having another baby around (He is so good around babies...it is VERY affirming concerning the adoption and how he will do as a big brother).

Our last segment of travel consisted of Collegiate Week 2010 in Glorieta, New Mexico. It was GREAT not having to drive, as we all rode on a charter bus with about 50 other students and staff/families. Jackson did a great job and really enjoyed the freedom that comes with a bus. The conference was incredible and has had Erin and I dialogging about ministry and missions! Plus, we got sweet and much needed time with students.

2400 miles later..

So the past few weeks have been an adventure. Jonathan went on a mission trip to the Yucatan with our church and Jackson and I went to Georgia, Kentucky and Alabama to visit family. Jonathan joined us when his trip was over. It was a great time of playing with cousins and visiting with family.

It all started 3 weeks ago when Jackson and I picked up Shelby from Meridian. She came to spend some time with us and we are so thankful that she did. She is growing up way too fast and it was so much fun loving on her and having her love on Jackson. She is a great big cousin to him and he loves her dearly!



Jonathan left that next Friday and we left that next Monday. Shelby, Jackson, and I went to Georgia where we celebrated my dad's birthday and simply hung out. Mimi and Papa spoiled Jackson and he is still asking to go to their house.


We left on Thursday and went to Kentucky where Jackson got to play with his cousins. He loves them dearly and had LOADS of fun playing with boys! They play so well together and I loved watching them make memories that will last.

We picked up Jonathan on Saturday and spent a few more days in Kentucky before heading to Alabama to visit Jonathan's BFF and his wife and daughter. That was great fun and Jackson LOVED being around a baby girl! What a great big brother he is going to be!

We finally made it back to Louisiana on Saturday but not after the break down of the truck and two police car rides. =)
It is nice to be back home for a little while and sleep in our own beds and not have to dig for clothes in a suitcase! But we do miss our family!!!=(