Kay is in Moscow ...Russia, Not Idaho

When I called and told Frances dad made it to Moscow she was out of the loop and wasn't sure if I meant Moscow Idaho or Moscow Russia.

Our nephew Ben works with Kay in Omaha. He was a missionary for our church in Russia and has been home a little over a year. He has wanted to go back and found a killer deal. For just under $400 dollars they flew round trip from Omaha to Moscow Russia. They made the reservation almost 3 weeks ago on April 6Th but needed visas. I happened to have 3 passport pictures of Kay a few years old ("not to be more than 6 months old") but hey, he hasn't changed.

We found a middle woman and sent in the signed paperwork (signed in the Chicago airport on our way to New England) but the paperwork was sent back, the prices went up so Kay went and got another check (about 350 total) and was going to send it in again when the middle woman said she had arranged for him to get the old price and to send it in again, which he did .

We had only paid for the 3-5 day service to start out with and found out 2 days before leaving he would not get his visa but apparently Ben called the consulate and asked them to slip Kay's into Ben's packet. We didn't know if they actually did this so we were on hold. a day before they left, Ben's and Kay's passports and visas arrived in separate packages (go figure?) and the middle woman, after that, emailed Kay to apologize for him not being able to go on his trip. He would have lost all his money he had paid for the flight and the visa.

Anyway, they made it. They each took a 15 lb back pack and are meeting Ryan Dalrumple, who worked for Kay last year and was Ben's favorite missionary companion, there tomorrow.
Because it was on Vayama and maybe so last minute, we couldn't get them seats on-line so some how they got seats on the plane. Here is what he wrote:

"The flight was surprisingly good. I think we both got enough sleep even though we were in coach and restrained to one seat each. We got into Moscow in the evening and took the bus and metro to the hostel. It took about 30 minutes to figure out the hostel was around the building numbered 49, then through an alley and hidden in a corner. Once we found it they did not have our reservation. Ben showed them a confirmation email and he sent us to another hostel at least a 30 minute walk away. We finally got checked in a little after midnight. The hostel was about half full. 7 bunk beds in our room. I slept quite well until 8am. We just showered and are on our way to 11am church."

Kay asked if I wanted to go? Been there, done that, no thank you. Russia is a dank, dark, grey, Godless country in my ever so humble opinion. I loved being on a tour there, going on a boat (not as ship) with a cafeteria, I loved visiting the small villages but this trip is "off the seat of their pants" Maybe hanging around members of the church with hope would be OK but "no thank you." Kay likes adventure and no plans.

As I remember our last trip to Russia about 16 or 17 years ago. People would stare at him and we decided he looked very Russian. He needed to keep his mouth shut. we even had women come up to me to tell me how handsome my husband was. Kay was shocked! Never in his life has anyone told him how handsome he was (except me). He just couldn't understand it. Even teenage girls said it....... hummmmm, maybe I should have gone.........

Spring Break 2009 New England

The group Easter Basket

Janae's birthday at Nathaniel Hawthorne's house. This is the only gift I got. A piece of cake. I don't eat sugar.







For those of you that want the scoop:

We had fun in New England for Spring Break. Our timeshare condo was in Jamestown RI, a small island across a toll bridge. By the end of the trip we think we paid for one of it’s toll booths. Kay, Lauren, Janell and I went.

Before we left I bought two Entertainment coupon books for Boston Area and two for Rhode Island area, we have used them well. Each restaurant was found from the “buy one get one free” books and with four of us we were able to use the books for food and activities. They will start selling the new books in about 4 months, ours are considered at the end of their time and were half price themselves. A few restaurants were closed. The price you

pay for going mid- book- season.
Saturday was a cold blistery day for a freedom trail walking tour.






Sunday we attended Church in a nearby town and went into Newport to walk the cliff- walk behind the Newport Mansions. This is the great and spacious building we saw on the way to church. It says "slots" on the front.

Monday we returned to Newport to tour the Mansions built in the guilded age, 1890’s. NY socialites built “cottages” (castles) to entertain friends for 6 weeks a year. “over the top” is nothing compared to these mini Versailles castles. We had a behind- the- scenes tour and returned a few days later to visit the rest. One of them, the Rosecliff is where the Great Gatsby with Robert Redford was filmed. It was the least impressive but because of some water damage is the one that allows film crews and weddings.

Tuesday we went to Salem Mass and were disappointed. Salem is trying to educate people (of all things) about the truth of witches. We wanted to see witches! The one museum didn’t have one artifact and at the end compared the witch hunt with the Japanese in the internment camps and the McCarthy era (we agree), which is fine but then put the gays into that! Oh well. we got a picture of Elizabeth Montgomery statue and saw some really old houses including a tour of Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of seven Gables. After that we went to Concord and toured Louisa May Alcott home to get the bad taste out of our mouths. .

Wednesday was our John F. Kennedy Presidential Museum and Library day. It told the history of the 35th US President until his assassination. We very much enjoyed this and recommend it. Wednesday was also US tax day when all the years taxes are due...so we drove to Boston Commons and participated in a tax demonstration. The news called it a "Modern Day Tea Party" When we arrived Kay found us signs in a nearby garbage can so we could look the part. We took some pictures and when we left, gave the signs away to a demonstrator who said he would pass them around.
Our next stop was Plymouth where we visited the museum and the rock and drove around the city to see the sights. We then drove down to the cape for dinner.


At the restaurant on the Cape we were the only ones there for most of dinner time. The host was a retired school principal from NJ. When he heard we were from Utah he told us about a book he was reading about the Mormons and he said if we were Mormon we probably wouldn’t like it. The author didn’t like Joseph Smith or some of his teachings. He recommended it for our knowledge of what people are saying about us. We had a great conversation with him. We said we had heard it all and didn’t need to read it. Kay uses the statement “If you want to learn about Toyotas do you go to the Chevrolet dealer?” We told him about our church and how Caleb is on a mission and he has to do community service every week. We told him about the great community service we all do… and what our humanitarian center has done for the world. He kept saying “I didn’t know that” At then end he asked if he could read a book about the other side’s view. We recommended the Book of Mormon which he said he had but it was confusing so he gave me his address and email for a suggestion of something to read. I am taking suggestions if anyone has 1 book he could read. There are so many. I think I will send him "for the strength of Youth" pamphlet and "our heritage".


He ended up slipping us a coupon for the restaurant, gave us a local newspaper and a map of the best beach on Cape Cod where we walked on a board walk. It was a hour and a half drive home and a very full day.

For our last day we got out the coupons and stayed around Newport visiting the Tennis hall of Fame, we are not tennis enthusiasts but we thought of our friend, tennis pro, Eddie in Hawaii when going through and enjoyed the exhibits and the rest of the Newport Mansions.







I think it is rule in New England that you must be able to see the next Duncan Doughnut shop from the one you are standing at. Kind of like our churches.

2009 first Annual girls weekend

We had our first Annual girls weekend. My four daughters and I decided we needed a get-together. Lauren and Rachael flew in (Rachael pretty much blew in as she left Omaha at 7AM on Saturday and arrived back at 11PM on Sunday). Rachael brought baby Chester aka Aaron and Frances had her two babies there. Frances's other sister Melanie (her sister-in-law) was there for Saturday. Wow we were glad Melanie came as she supplied the amazing photo crafts and provided a gourmet lunch for us upon arrival. We cooked and talked and listened to LDS General Conference. It snowed terribly up there in the mountains, only 15 minutes from no snow and spring flowers springing. Thanks to the husbands who put their lives on hold so their wives could play.

Janae, the queen bee, Rachael (mother of 4) Frances (mother of twins) Lauren, and Janell

22 random pictures- Lucky you I cut out 150 pictures:


8 Almost snowed in at Emigration Canyon Utah:

Cinnamon rolls

Janell has been craving cinnamon rolls so here is her first attempt to make them. She did everything perfect from scratch. Notice how she is cutting them with dental floss, like a professional. I remember Lauren's attempt to make her first cake where she brought the bowl with the egg, oil and water to me and asked what was wrong (the cake mix was missing). Cinnamon rolls are a treat and when I had 2 high school girls, they wanted to go to cinnabon to buy cinnamon rolls. I freaked out and offered to make them saving them hundreds of dollars (kidding). They learned to do this (tell me they were going to cinnabon) a few more times knowing that was the way to get me to make them. I finally wised up and one of Lauren's first things to make from scratch was cinnamon rolls. If you can make cinnamon rolls, you know how to cook. Why not start with this so you know you can cook. Even Caleb makes cinnamon rolls.

Roller coaster

Janell had to build a roller coaster out of card board for her physics class, having a tennis ball make hills and a loop for extra credit. She could do it alone or in a group. The groups were taken so she decided to do it alone. This is what I would call one of the easier physics projects. Good thing Kay was home for the week, while I started his mom's taxes he went from me to Janell helping where needed.

As I remember all my kids had their dad "help" them do their physics projects..... Kay is a natural engineer. I remember the cardboard boat Rachael and two friends had as their project they made. Teams competed in a real swimming pool. They had to get in the boat and paddle across the swimming pool. Kay had them practice getting in as they made it on the grass in front of our house. The three girls held hands and counted slowly together as each foot went into the boat, slowly, slowly. The lesson did them well as theirs was the sturdiest and stayed afloat the longest. Some boats capsized upon entry. The girls watched and helped as Kay built it. I remember the pumpkin launcher the size of a small truck and the robot. Kay is a good one to have on your team.

Pete: expect a call to find out how to figure the calculations!

Adventure in Chicago

Lauren and Kay made a road trip to Chicago where they went to see the Broadway show "Mary Poppins", visitied the Chicago Institute of Art and Lauren auditioned for "America's Next Top Model" Reality TV show.

She was in a cattle line with thousands of girls for 5 hours. She made

the first cut where they told her she was "pretty enough" to be on the show. The pretty enough judge's job was done and Lauren went to another cattle call where she had to say her name, weight and age and that is where she was cut. "Pretty enough to be on the show" was good enough for Lauren.

They loved the museum and Mary Poppins. A fun road trip for the Father daughter team... What next? Maybe Amazing Race????

happy Birthday to my dad... Harlan Clark

Happy Birthday dad, these were supposed to be a few recollections, I got carried away and could go on and on:

I remember on Saturdays going shopping with you in Salt Lake....to the Hardware store or Sears etc. Or we would go to your school where you would open the kindergarten room for us to play in if we cleaned it up.

I remember skipping where you would have Debbilyn on one side and me on the other and pull our arms up so we would take in air and skip really high and you didn't mind looking like a fool skipping with us.I remember secretly taking the pillow bed-chair to one of your older home teaching ladies and having the whole family on the porch, knock and we all ran. You gave us reports of it's usage in the home. (SLC)

I remember you accepting church callings, whatever they were and doing your best.I don't remember but I heard you gave a talk in church (East Orange NJ) on doing whatever you were asked to do and you decided you would do something hard so you could be an example. You decided the hardest thing you could do would be to sing a solo in front of the congregation...... the same man that was told in his college class you would get a C grade if he didn't sing. And that made you happy. (Clark men didn't get the singing gene the women got)

I remember reading the Book of Mormon at the dinner table.

I remember hearing the story about how we were to move to NYC city... mom and dad had been praying where to move, stay in California, got back to Utah or go to NYC. The answer didn't come, they finally prayed if NYC was the place to take 4 children and finish school, they both woke up in the middle of the night, and said to each other "We're going to NY."I remember going to visit church history sites.

I remember bearing my testimony in Family Home Evening and my children have now benefited from bearing their testimony in the same way I was brought up at each family home evening.I remember being taught what a testimony is...... short.... testifying.

I remember asking my dad to pick me up from High School, he did and honked about 20 times driving up to the school...... never again.I remember being picked up from work and dad always said "the blacks got the priesthood", The day they did, I didn't believe him!

I remember dad driving us from NJ into NYC to finish our contract with the Metropolitan Opera. Late nights for all of us.I remember being told dad would buy me a coat, a pair of shoes and some underwear... that was all I really needed... he did buy more. "I am to cloth you, not decorate you" no designer clothes for me.

I remember dad getting me my jobs. I just had to show up at the dry cleaners and the Dentist's office, the jobs were mine... I rode on dad's coat tail and tried not to disappoint.

Paper route from age 12-16. Dad delivered our papers with us on Sundays and Christmas and if it was terrible weather. Dad was so proud when he found me in a rain storm without a coat because I was protecting the newspapers.

dad's quote I use "I was a stranger and he took me in, and robbed me""I was hungry and he clothed me, naked and he fed me"

I remember we had to stop calling the car Hazel, dad's new secretary was named Hazel.

I remember running Sears Catalogs around to earn money for a tent so we could go camping. Taking our bikes camping.I remember going camping with dad and he took over, mom would go read a book and dad cooked, cleaned, did everything..... It was a little problem when I got married and expected my husband to do all that. We compromised and had the kids do it.I remember playing crazy 8's on a camping trip, having a rain storm and having a mini stream under our tent, putting the dog in the car and having him poop in the car and dad scraping up the poop and using deodorant on the rest of the mess.

Living in a 2 bedroom NYC student apartment with 4 kids. The kitchen was smaller than a small bathroom, 1/2 size fridge. 2 bunk beds in the bedroom and 1 double bed in the small nursery room.

I remember wanting to take tap dancing lessons, dad agreed to drive me and figured he would sign up too. AT the church Christmas party, Santa came in tap dancing.... who was that masked man?

I remember my dates would ask if my dad was there when I was dropped off, they would come in and talk sports with dad... dad kept up on their high school sports and could relive games with them he just read about. More than once, I went to bed and the boy was there still talking to my dad.

I remember a friend of mine called me, upset because her boyfriend wanted to break off their engagement, I had her call dad.... the marriage therapist wannabe and she appreciated it. They've been married 25ish years.

I remember my dad writing letters of recommendations for my friends.I remember my dad would write "you are a winner" cards to me and everyone he met almost. Documenting the positive in people's lives.

I remember my dad writing notes for school, telling them that I was sick. I begged him to sign the notes "DR Clark" and he did... really big.

Dad was asked to give to the Building fund. Instead of saying "I can't", he got another job delivering newspapers to the newspaper boys which turned into a blessing and a consulting job.
He truly cast his bread upon the waters and it came back Buttered and Jammed.

When dad was called to be Patriarch, he called to say he had a new calling. I asked him to not tell me but I guessed it right. When I was helping pack for his mission to Mongolia I said "you know you are going to be a mission President" and he was.... not hard to guess in my mind...

Dad is obedient to a "T". Whatever he is supposed to do, he will do and then some. The Lord is first in his life. Dad honors his priesthood and is a wonderful example to all of his children and grandchildren.Thank you for listening, for being there, for supporting us and being positive. You and mom are a great team, I am proud to be a Clark.