Clouse Family News

2011-07-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

We have a missionary again...

2011-07-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Weston is now serving in the Little Rock Arkansas Mission speaking Spanish. He has been there for almost four weeks. He has been having an interesting time gettig to know the locals. He occasionally comes up on gang members with pistols in the front hip, drug deals going down at a front door, lady on corner wondering why he is in the area because white boy could get himself shot. Other then that he had some spiritual experiences which have made him realize that all people need to hear the message of Jesus Christ and even though he had to track in sketchy areas he know someone there will want to hear that message. He has a heart of gold and determination. I worry about everyone else around him but not him, because he is doing his mission for the right reasons. I love Weston and am proud to call him Elder Clouse!

My family rules my life...

2010-11-10T21:45:00.001-08:00

I don't control the TV or the kitchen, or the car. My purse gets opened and money taken on a daily basis. I get kicked off a couch so the kids can watch a movie or TV show that they want to watch even though I was watching something on TV. I make food and they take bites from it. We had a family home evening on entitlement and they said mom we don't do that. I love my family and am glad I have someone to rule my life.

What is new...

2010-09-21T08:03:00.001-07:00

May to September...so much has happened and I keep forgetting to update my blog. In May Weston graduated from Gilbert High School. In June we traveled to Hawaii to celebrate the graduation and had such a great time. We traveled with the Lambright family which made the trip even more special. In July we traveled to San Francisco for Dustin and Heather's wedding. They were married in the Oakland Temple on July 30th. They had the reception that night in Stockton where Heather's family is from. In August we had their open house at our home on August 14th. It was such a fun occasion and everything went just as planned. Heather and Dustin will live in Provo, Utah. In August the kids started school, Savanna at Gilbert High, Larissa at Greenfield Jr High, Weston at Chandler Gilbert and Alicia at MCC. September bring hunting season and Scott is gone this week helping his friend Matt and his brother Curt with their hunts. We are all looking forward to a fun fall!

This week...

2010-04-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

This week I enjoyed my family. Easter Pageant on Tuesday...Weston's LAX game on Wednesday...Hiking on Friday...Weston's LAX game on Friday. Time spent together with my family is cherished by me. What is most important is the memories we make with each other. I realized when hiking that the mountains are really beautiful in the Springtime. I spend to many hours in the house doing! I will commit from now on to get sunshine in my soul everyday. There are good things happening to member's of our family in the near future which make life so easy to live. Heavenly Father watches out for those who watch out for others...lesson learned! I love conference time and Easter time and what a blessing to have them on the same day. We are so blessed to have the guidance of Church leaders and the example and resurrection of Christ.

Mexico Spring Break 2010

2010-03-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

Mexico Spring Break was awesome! We went with the Boyds, Foster's and Dewitt's. It was so beautiful and so relaxing. We have more pictures posted on our Facebook's but here is a preview. We rode quad's, kayaked, chilled in lawn chairs at the edge of the water, ate great food, lunch at the local taco shop, sunned, and had a wonderful time.

2009-12-12T20:57:00.000-08:00

Well Thanksgiving was a few weeks back but I came across these pictures and decided that these were my favorites. My husband and boys don't really enjoy taking pictures and I could'nt get them to smile all together but in one picture, they one chosen for our family Christmas picture. I love the picture of the girls and myself. We managed to snap a few pictures of Dustin and his girlfriend Heather. We wanted her to jump in a few pictures for fun with our family but she said it was awkward teasingly. We had a great time harvesting a turkey from our yard and cooking it in the pit. I believe in keeping it simple and I got my wish. The Tonioli family, Dustin, Heather and Marc ,Dustin's roommate ate dinner with us. The food was awesome and the company was even better. We planned out our next day by going to three convenience stores to find the paper with all the ads. We cut out the items pictures that we wanted and made a list. Our goal was to be done by 730 am and then breakfast somewhere and come home and take a nap. The guys and Alicia left hunting at 2 am and we got up at 330 am and went shopping. We went to about four stores and actually saved a lot of money. The people watching was totally worth the early morning shopping spree. We ate breakfast at The good egg and went home and took the most awesome nap. Heather and I went to see New Moon later that night and on Saturday went to see The Blind Side. I loved getting to know her better and was glad she loved going to movie as much as I did. I was very thankful for family and friends that weekend and reflected on the wonderful past memories of Thanksgiving. I am looking forward now to the next few weeks of the Christmas season. We will be singing at the temple ad attending a few Christmas parties. Scott and I will go to Utah the weekend before Christmas to attend my Friends son's wedding and visit with a few family members. I am hoping we can go see the temple lights in Salt Lake at Temple square. I get to have another birthday before this month is over, which is always my favorite way to end the year. The season feels Merry and Bright and I hope all will be well!

2009-11-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

Life is good! Halloween is over and we are looking forward as a family to the holiday season. Dustin will be coming home for Thanksgiving and to go hunting with Alicia. He will bring his girlfriend Heather to hang with us who we wish to be part of our family. We are going to have a busy season this year. Christmas Day is the most exciting, we will be serving breakfast to the homeless again. It was so awesome to be able to be with them on Christmas Day. We will be looking for ways to serve this season...we have so many blessings we all need to give back.

Looking Forward to Fall...

2009-09-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

Well I feel now that the weather is getting a bit cooler that Fall is on it's way. I love fall and the holidays and the time with family and friends. We will have some fun experiences in the next few weeks. Alicia is running a marathon in St. George, Larissa's birthday, a family reunion in Pinedale, and Disneyland with Larissa and her friends for her birthday. I love to travel and am excited to do a few fun things this fall. I am thankful for all I have and I am greatful for my knowledge of the gospel. We live in a great country and we should continue to learn more how we can help make it a better place. Tonight we will go to the Gilbert constitution fair. What a great program it will be. I am trying harder to do things with the kids and it has been great, I love spending time with them they are really amazing kids. There are so many things good in life and if we don't stop and do them we miss out.

2009-08-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

I Went on an unexpected trip to see Dustin in Utah. He was having a difficult time and I needed to be with him. The Lord works in mysterious ways and many good things happened because of my trip. I stayed with Scott's Aunt and Uncle, Tom and Loraine Sutton at their home next to the Provo Temple. They were awesome and were like parents to me and I enjoyed staying up late with them talking about family and life experiences. Dustin and I were able to spend some time together seeing the Utah canyons and Temples. Jon Hipps a childhood friend of Dustin's was able to share in these experiences with us. We drove about 750 miles total in about six days. We went up the Provo canyon to Aspen Grove and Sundance all the way down to American Fork checking out the Timpanogos temple. The next day we went to up American Fork canyon to Timpanogos Cave. The next day we drove from Provo Canyon to Park City to do the Alpine slides and on down through Salt Lake, driving by 'This is the Place' and The Salt Lake Temple. The following day we drove up the canyon to Snowbird and rode the tram and chair lifts. On Sunday the most special day we attended the dedication of the Oquirrh Temple and then at the temple I got to see the Prophet, so cool and a great experience of a lifetime. We talked and shared our thoughts on life together. On Monday I was to return home but not until I helped Dustin move into his apartment with two of his missionary companions. On my way to the airport I stopped by the Draper Temple and walked around the temple grounds. I was there by myself and was able to thank my Heavenly Father for the blessings that I had been given at that time. I was happy to leave Dustin in a comfortable place in his life again. The trip was long but well worth the time. It is important that our family relations do not take a second seat to everyday life. Nothing in life is worth the relationships we have with our loved ones. I am glad to be back home and starting life again. Lessons have been learned, questions answered and the spirit felt in my life. All is well!

Camping pictures from Big Lake

2009-08-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

There were seven dogs with us camping and the kids had a great time throwing frisbees to them in the meadow...

Air soft wars in the forest was a big deal for the men and youth they played for a few hours...

Lots of quad riding up the trails on the mountain...

The kids loved catching craw dads in the creek...

We scheduled everything around our food...

Lacie loved laying by the fire at night...

we had a great kitchen and Scott made homemade ice cream on Sunday afternoon...

We played cards at night and sat by the fire talking and laughing...

The women company was great...

Awesome camping trip with the Tonioli's, Boyd's, and Crismon's.

camping

2009-08-04T11:15:00.001-07:00

Camping was great because the weather was really nice and the company was even better. We had four families with us. The Boyds, the Crismons, and the Tonioli's. The best part of the trip was when all the men and a few girls had an air soft fight in the forest. It was quite hilarious and I have some great footage. I was safe and could get a close up because I had the video camera. We ate great food and had some really nice rides up the mountain taking in all the beautiful country in the white mountains. I loved taking a nap when there was a light sprinkle outside. We enjoyed sitting around the campfire and visiting at night. We are blessed to have great families and friends and that is what life is about being together and making memories.

The kids are doing great...

2009-07-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

I got to talk with Dustin today and he is doing great. He sounds really happy and is enjoying Washington and his new session of kids for EFY. He is really getting his life in a place where he is making goals and seeing his future in such a positive way. I am so proud of him for having to go through so much in the past year and a half. He really deserves a break.

Alicia is registered for school and will be babysitting for Annie this fall watching Paige. She has a social life and will be going to Havasupai again next week. That makes me nervous a bit but she did survive the flood last summer. I love when the kids do things with their friends. It is surprising how fast time goes by and I just want them to have good memories.

Weston is at Lake Powell this week and will miss our family camp out, he is with family so that is what makes it ok (Russ and Shelle and Family). He will start his Senior year in two weeks and will be graduating yeah!

Savanna will be in High School in two weeks and that will be awesome. I was not a fan of Junior High and the didn't like the pressure with friends and stuff. She will try out for cheer and I will encourage her to just keep involved in school and have fun.

Larissa will be in her last year of elementary school. This is a milestone for me and I am looking forward to it. I will miss having a young child but I am loving having grownups living in my home. She will be in young women's in October, wow!

If the kids are great so am I. I just want them to be happy and do things that will make them better people. Life is busy and scary but it could be worse.

Random Thoughts by Angie!

2009-07-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

It is very windy and stormy outside and I just had the best grilled chicken, egg plant, zucchini, and pineapple. It really feels like summer right now. Update as of right now on the family Dustin is in Vegas doing a session as an EFY counselor and then he is off to Washington State for two week sessions. Alicia is sick right now and is watching Mama Mia and chilling in the great room. Weston and Savanna are at a FHE slip n slide put on by the awesome Stowell family at a community park (in the storm). Larissa is sick and is hanging around the house and entertaining Carter. Scott is watching a hunting show and I am on my blog. That is what is happening right now in the Clouse Family Home. Our quote for the day is "don't be a fun hater be a fun enforcer". I am getting use to pulling my hair up in a pony or a clip because it is so hot. I am glad it is long so it goes up! I am not in the mood for housecleaning when it is so hot. I will in a bit go do laundry because it is not as hot at night. I am still doing homework and working hard to finish it so I can play again. I like using my brain in that way, it is amazing that is still works. I do feel more alert when I get done with a lesson. I am bumbedthere are not many good movies this summer I love summer blockbusters. I saw Harry Potter and that was a pretty good movie even though I haven't even seen the others, wait I did see the first one and read the book, I am such a Harry Potter fan!!! We have had fun seeing old Friends in the last few weeks. Kent Rogers had a birthday party for turning 50 and Darren Stirland came into town and he went with us, very nice and really fun to catch up. Karen and Jan Gorringe came and went fishing in Mexico and I went along for the ride, it was fun to get to visit with them again. I like old friends it makes me happy bringing up old stories and good times. Well I am behind in my scripture reading for the summer and behind in my organizing I had planned for summer but I am happy and that is all that matters. I am going to play 'Satan's game' (aka Bunco) tomorrow with friends. I get to see my two cousins every month and I love it and will continue as long as I don't get struck down. I don't feel like a sinner and I leave feeling really good about the relationships I have with some awesome ladies. I love my bed and love laying down at night and love waking up and starting a new day. I want to do random acts of kindness everyday and will look for one tomorrow and let you know what I did. I will ramble with my blog from now on I want to use it to share my thoughts with me and whoever would like to visit and know how I am doing.

My thoughts today!

2009-06-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for my family and friends though I may not show it. I love the gospel and having the knowledge of the savior helps me every day. Scott is my rock and so kind to me even when I make mistakes. I am having fun with the kids this summer just watching them play and grow. I wish I could do more for those in need of comfort. My heart aches for those I know who are sad. I love looking at my pictures from the past, the memories are so important to me. I will strive tomorrow to be better than today. I will pray often and not forget who watches over me. I am old but not done...

First Day of Summer

2009-05-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

So far so good , I just want to clean the house by following the kids around cleaning up after them

Pictures on Facebook

2009-05-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

There are pictures from our trip on facebook. The trip was great but it is a bit hard to post too many pictures on the blog.

School's Out for Summer!

2009-05-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

Summer break what a blast, need not worry about the past. New beginnings when summer begins will enjoy the monsoon winds. Swimming, camping, movies, play, these are ways to pass the days. Catching up on missed sleep, hanging with our favorite peeps. Summer brings such fun, such rest, doing nothing we like the best. Going fast, the time just flys, school starts again and we hear the cry's. So enjoy the summer, do what's right, and school again will be so tight!!

76 Days until school starts!

Bonjour

2009-04-23T19:26:00.001-07:00

We are leaving for a few days on a trip to France and Italy for our 25th wedding anniversary that will be in June. We are leaving Alicia and Dustin in charge. I am excited and nervous about not being able to communicate with the kids everyday. They are bigger now and more responsible, well that is what I tell myself so I don't freak out that I abandoned my kids so I could have some fun with Scott. They have cars to drive, food to eat and TV what more do they need when we are gone. Did I mention that I am missing three concerts and a piano recital, and Weston has Prom. But I will be home for Mother's Day. I will miss my kids and my friends and work. I am so excited to have Scott all to myself for two weeks, I think he is a bit scared about that. I will practice talking in my French and Italian accent so I can converse with you when I get home. I have mastered the British accent without ever going to England, so I am sure I can handle it.

Change is good!

2009-03-31T18:05:00.001-07:00

Ok I have been busy changing all our insurance and saving some great money. Change is good! We are not going with anyone we know. We use to have everything with family and friends which make it hard to make changes. I know it is better to give the premiums to them but we loose a lot of money along the way. It is just better to keep all finances separate from family and friends. No strings attached is my new motto! Break the wrist and walk away. Not that harsh , but it is easier to save money not having to go with a company that is more expensive just because a family member or friend is involved. I spent way to much money trying to be nice. I am also finding some great companies to refinance our home. We get so use to staying with the same companies for years and miss out on the good deals to save some money. What I have learned is ask a lot of questions and do your research. It takes time but PAYS off in the end.

I Love Sunday!

2009-03-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

I had a great day today. I went to Freestone Park Ward conference and I missed being with my family but I appreciated being able to hear the Stake president and others bear testimony of the gospel. The counselor I work with in YW Colleen Smith shared her conversion story with the YW and it was so powerful and she always brings such a great spirit with her when she speaks. The lesson was on self reliance and I learned so much. I am really happy right now even though there are a lot of stressors in my life. I love my children and Scott and I have a lot to be thankful for. We are so blessed to be members of this gospel and we do need to share it with everyone.

Mexico was great!

2009-03-20T12:26:00.001-07:00

We relaxed and had a great few days as a family. Dustin stayed home and watched all the animals. He enjoyed his peace and quiet having the home all to himself. We had no problems in Mexico. When we went through the border they checked the back of our car to make sure we were not transporting any large items that they could tax. What I learned from being in Mexico is that they really do rely on Americans coming to visit. There were about less than half the people on the beaches that were there last year. The town at Rocky Point had a lot of businesses closed and there are so many shanty buildings along the railroads, more than I remember from last time. When you are at the condo it is a gated place with security so you don't worry much about safety. It was safe out and about at the eating places and the market. I didn't feel unsafe at all. The beaches are nice and very relaxing. We had the Lambright family with us and it was a lot of fun. At the border they checked our documents in about 5 seconds and let us through. To bad everyone has such a negative idea about Mexico, there are some really nice people who need help and giving a dollar here and there for a window wash or Chiclets is huge for them. Wayne and Kathy came to stay at their condo for the rest of the week and we had a nice visit with them. It was so nice of them to share their condo with us so our family could have a fun Spring Break.

We are just having fun, chill out!!

2009-03-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

If you have younger children enjoy them. I think I worry more about my older children now than I did when they were little. Alicia went camping at Gisela last night with some friends and they were going to go rappelling this morning. I forgot to ask her if they were experienced rappellers and I lay awake most of the night a little stressed worrying about her. I don't like the thought of anything bad happening to them. Dustin likes to go explore caves in southern Arizona with his friends which he did last week. I get so stressed out thinking about them when they are gone. They tell me to chill and it is safe. They will understand some day when they have children of their own. I want to let them grow up but I am still protective of them. One thing I have to realized is they have had a lot of experience doing many things. Scott has taught them to have common sense and they are cautious and don't do dangerous things that I know of!! HA. They hike to cliffs, play with fire, explore caves, rappel, ride quads, drive without seat belts sometimes (bad), snow board, wake board with friends and I know now why I worry. I don't really do any of those things because I AM a paranoid mom who is cautious and has common sense. Maybe I do need to chill and enjoy life more! I love my kids and I am glad they have had the experiences they have had.

Happy March, live life!!

2009-03-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

I can't believe March is here already. I am thankful for the Spring, it makes me happy. Spring break is next week and we will take our kids with the Lambright family to Mexico. We are going to relax and do nothing for a few days. You are probably thinking that we shouldn't be going to Mexico with everyone saying it is dangerous. Many people travel back and forth to Rocky Point and we have been there before so I am not worried. We really can't stop living because we fear. If we don't stand up to evil, they win. There are very poor people that need us to come and spend some money in their country. The drug dealers want everyone to fear so they can control those people is what I think. So I am not afraid and yes something could happen to us even if we stayed home. No more being scared of anything or anybody, let's live and let's have fun in life! (pictures from March 2008) And by the way I would risk my life for those mexican tacos, they are amazing!!

Saturday, what to do!

2009-02-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

Ok I have a list of things I should do today, and I think I will accomplish a few. I should clean out the office, clean the laundry room, organize the kitchen cupboards,clean up the guest room, organize pictures, clean out my bedroom closet, clean up my computer, scrub the pool, do homework, plan out trip details, etc. I think I WILL do the office, that is the worst and stuff has been there for years. I will report back and let everyone know how that works out for me.

The turkey is no longer...

2009-02-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

Our turkey that we had in the back yard dislocated it's leg today and we had to put it down. Dustin did it Pilgrim style , with help from his friends. Matt Tonioli came and instructed the boys on how to do it (his family owned a meat processing business in Utah). I did film it for educational purposes. Larissa will be sad, she is out of town and will miss the turkey. We will be having a President's Day feast tomorrow night with friends. We still have our female turkey and I am interested to see how she reacts to her male companion missing. The cute neighbor kids were out in their yard playing with their chickens, while this was going on. They will be devastated the Turkey is gone, the story we will tell them is the turkey ran away. Anyway our Sunday night was a bit crazy but it was a family activity and we spent time together.

February is already here!!

2009-02-03T16:33:00.001-08:00

Ok this year is already flying by. I am starting my World War II class and I have decided that Barack Obama is way over his head. I don't mean to post political feelings but he is not qualified to run this country and to be making decisions with other world leaders. Really scary. Read a bit on WW I and WW II and you will know what I am talking about. Well everyone is doing great and Dustin is healed and he and Alicia started back at MCC. Savanna will start cheer next week and will be very busy again. Weston is doing La Crosse and is on the stage crew for the school play so we don't see him until 6:00pm every night. The school play is the last week in February and is "Joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat', so if you want to see it Weston can get you tickets. Gilbert High School always does great plays. Larissa is doing great she saves our animals lives every day. Scott is still working hard and I have been at the hospital more this month. I really like both my jobs equally so I don't care where I am working as a nurse, just as long as I get to work a bit every week. I started two classes independent study with LSU. I am going to talk with an accent when I talk about my classes so I can feel as though I am a true louisianan. ASU suggested them and they are really good classes. Anyway we are still alive and have enjoyed browsing everyone's blog's.

A New Year!

2009-01-13T20:50:00.001-08:00

We survived the holidays and have started off the New Year kinda slow. I am not getting done what I need to every day. Dustin is doing great recovering from surgery. Alicia is training for two marathons this year. Weston is on the stage crew for the school play and is doing lacrosse. Savanna will start cheer soon and is getting really tall. Larissa is loving all our animals and is looking for a female hampster which they don't sell at any pet stores anymore. Scott has been gone a bit hunting in Mexico. I have gotten back to work and my church job. I have been sewing dresses and a skirt for Alicia and will start two classes in the next few weeks. The family has started working out at the rec center and it has been really fun. I am hoping that will help me find my energy again. I am so tired lately I probably just need some iron or maybe I could start doing speed. Not! I like my church job and that would not be cool to show up to meeting's high! Anyway I love the weather and I love the citrus on the trees in the backyard. In fact I know it is late but i am going to go sqeeze some juice before I go to bed. I want to get my taxes done soon, so I can enjoy the next few months. I am getting a little nervous about the change of presidents next week. I think the future is going to be gloomy and we will need to all be spiritually strong. Well it may sound a bit like I am not having fun but I am trotting along slowly but happily. I have already been to two weddings and two funerals this year and three church meetings for my callings. It has been a busy month so far and doesn't show signs of stopping!

2008-11-07T22:22:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry I have been quite busy, but I should definitely keep up with the blog. My kids have me hooked on facebook. I got to do decorate for the High School Choir BBQ tonight it was so fun and the kids sang so good. It was a great turnout and they earned a lot of money for the school play next Spring. The are doing 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'. I will tell everyone when it is. I told Weston he should try out for one of the brother's. He is OK singing with a group but not by himself. Alicia and Dustin are winding down the last few weeks of school. I have about four weeks left of school with my statistics class and I am getting an A so far, it is getting harder though. Savanna just finished up with Volleyball and she had to be the line judge for the championship game. She did great, she was sad that her team lost, but they were the division champs. Larissa is loving all the animals we have at our house right now. We have two turkey's, three chickens, two goats, one rabbit, 20 baby chicks, one Chocolate Lab in heat, and one cute little Terrier 'Carter'. We are busy every morning feeding all the animals. The kids eat the Turkey eggs and they say they are good. Weston is enjoying his Junior year and is getting better from his hurt shoulder from swim. Dustin will get back surgery finally December 17th, he has been in so much pain, but has to wait until school is out. Alicia is having fun with a nice group of young adults. I try not to bug them but I want to know if they are liking anyone serious, because I am not raising them forever. Anyway Scott is doing good, and there is still work for him to do, so we still have a job at this time. I am working more at the hospital because they are short on Nurses, but I love the work I get to do there. I hope all is well with your families. I love mine and I got to spend time with my Mom tonight and it was so fun.

Just tired of all the lies!!!

2008-10-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

I can hardly watch fox news anymore, tired of all the lies about McCain and Palin. People hear what they want to hear when the truth comes out about Obama and his associates and friends. He is the Anti-Christ, that is all I want to say. How can anyone not know he is evil and will destroy our country. He will pull all the troops out of the middle east and have peace talks with killer dictators of countries who hate America. This feels so good to vent and dump this stuff that is bothering me. Well get prepared if he pulls this off. Also with all the voter fraud going on in Ohio and other states, I am surprised a Republican won the last eight years. You know that the Acorn company is run by a Democrat and has one guy being registered to vote 73 times. It is crazy that people get away with this kind of stuff. I am going to just worry about my family and have fun this fall and not worry so much about who does what or wins what, we are screwed no matter what, so lets just all smile and carry on!!

2008-10-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

The Vice-presidential debate was awesome! Anyone who missed this should find some way to view it. Sarah Palin did a great job, she is the bomb!!

2008-09-29T11:28:00.001-07:00

Ok I am a little behind. That last few weeks have been pretty busy. I have been glued to FOX News watching all the political junk! I love the politicians and the rich people waste money and play with our lives. I am going to go buy some food storage today because we are going to need it. Well the kids are doing good. Dustin is wanting to fly the coop and he has put in an application to BYU. I think it will be a great experience for him and he will love it. He is still dealing with his herniated disc in his back and waiting another MRI. Alicia is having fun going on trips with the young adults and going to school full time. Weston was nominated for Homecoming royalty but didn't win, the kid that had an aneurysm on the football field during a game did. Weston has been dealing with a hurt shoulder and an MRI showed he had a tear in his labrum, the injury is called a SLAP injury. He is going to do physical therapy and possible surgery later. Yes we have had a few medical bills adding up lately. I could have bought a new car by now with the money you have to spend on Dr. visits, MRI, and CT. It is OK, because I just want them to be well and happy. Savanna has been busy on the volleyball team for the eighth grade. She is the manager, but works out and goes to every game with the team. Larissa started violin and will have her first concert tomorrow night. Carter the dog is learning to go potty outside more than inside, and loves Larissa. Scott and i are working a lot but keeping up. I am trying to stay focused on my family, work and school class that I started (PSY 230, Statistics). Statistics makes sense but is very boring! Anyway we are doing good and very busy but still trying to have some fun.

2008-09-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for America today. I hope everyone got to see the unveiling of the memorial at the Pentagon, if not try to find the footage of it. I am listing to Barack Obama speaking right now on Fox news and he is getting way more media time than McCain. He represents to me the Elite of America and a type of arrogance that makes me feel that he will never be able to connect with the majority of the hard working blue collar of America. We really need to get people out to vote. There is also the Marriage initiative that is going to be on the November ballot and the church is backing this bill, and for the first time I believe that they have endorsed a bill. I am very nervous about the election. We should be instructed to vote for the candidate with the most experience, and if we did it would be McCain. I am more afraid of war on our American soil, than I am of the economy. God Bless America!!

Politics! Yeah!

2008-09-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

I love politics, I haven't even watched regular TV in weeks. I am watching FOX news channel as I type. I loved Sarah Palin she rocks!! She represents so many aspects of the America people and is genuine and so cool. You actually can put some faith in the campaign now, and they could actually pull this thing off. I am not racist, and I am not just going to vote for John McCain because he is white. I will vote for him because of the two candidates he is the most qualified. I have a real problem if someone who is African-American votes for Obama because he is black. This is not the time to finally have a black president. He is not the right person to do that at this time. I am totally OK for having a black president if they are qualified. The black man is not kept down in society by the white man. We are all equal and have come so far concerning these issues. All voters need to do is do what is best for our country and vote for someone to run our country who is for the people , listens to the people and will keep our country safe!! I would on the other hand love having a woman in such a high position. Mother's are so organized and make executive decisions that affect lives every day!! So go McCain-Palin!!!!

California trip to see 'Wicked'

2008-09-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

I went this last weekend to see 'Wicked' in California with Patti Tonioli and her kids. I took Savanna and Larissa for their birthday's. We did a lot of fun activities. On Thursday when we got there we went to Manhattan Beach and played until dark. The beach is awesome, very beautiful and very clean. There are hundreds of beach houses that are unique and inviting. Friday we went to the beach again during the morning and then got ready and went down to Hollywood. Patti dropped Savanna and me off on Rodeo Drive to walk down the street. Savanna is into designer stuff and knew all the stores (we will address this madness later).

We went into Juicy Couture and I took a picture of her on the stairs and the worker guy said we don't allow photography in our stores. So I took out a few hundred dollar bills and waved them in his face and said "big mistake, big mistake" I was just going to spend this in your store and then we walked out (JK).

We then walked down Hollywood Boulevard and saw all the stars on the sidewalk and the chinese theater.

Larissa was a bit freaked out by all the characters on the street, and held my hand, but loved the bat man on the cell phone.

We then took the girls to see Wicked and they loved the play. The actors were great and Glenda was hysterical! We went to an Aquarium on Long Beach, highly recommend it, very educational and cool.

Then we went to Long Beach so the kids could play in the waves. There were no waves, and if you like trash on the beach and smelly stench with razors everywhere, then this is the place for you! Sunday we took the kids to the cultural refinement sunday school in china town.

We bought all the kids chinese hats so we could find them, we walked around, and were the minority by far and got some stares.

We bought some yummy fruit and drove to the Los Angeles Temple and sat under a really big tree and ate lunch.

We then drove a few miles on our way home and stopped by the Redlands temple, which is really beautiful.

All in all the trip was a success, with a few bumps along the way with the kids, but really a fun trip. By the way 'I am not going to lie' Patti is really cool to go on trips with.

School starts!

2008-08-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

School started again for the Clouse Family. This year we are all going to school except for Scott. Larissa is fifth grade at Sonoma Ranch, Savanna is 8th grade at Greenfield Jr. High, Weston is 11th grade at Gilbert High School, and Dustin and Alicia will start full time at MCC, and I started my BSN degree at South University which is all online and awesome! It should take me a year and I felt it was time to finish my education. I could be an RN with only a AAS degree but I can see the trend for nurses is going to require a Bachelor's degree in the future so I want to be prepared. I get to interact with other RN's around the US so it is really fun. There are books literally all over the house. Weston started swimming and Savanna is going to try Volleyball so we will be very busy this fall. Larissa has started Violin in school and practices every day. Alicia will play with the MCC orchestra this year so that will be fun to hear her play again. It has been nice having all the kids back at home again. It makes for great entertainment every day.

New Family Member in the Clouse House!

2008-08-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

Ok we did it we got a little friend for our family. We brought into our home a little puppy (Yorkshire Terrier) named Carter. He is so cute and very well behaved- unless he sees you eating or you are not playing with him. He is already spoiled and we love him. Just so you know it was Scott's idea that he planted in everyones mind and he won't admit to it!

New Baby in the Family

2008-07-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

GOOD NEWS ... Annie and Randon had a new baby this afternoon. They had a baby girl. Her name is Paige Nicole and she weighed in at 6.14. My Mom said she is beautiful, with lots of dark hair and very pink skin. They are so excited and have waited for a long time for this bundle of joy!

2008-07-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hawaii Trip to Kauai June 2008

with the Tonioli's

We are back and in one piece, rested and accepting of our real lives! Scott and I went to Hawaii with our Friends the Tonioli's who by the way are so awesome! We did lots of Hawaii things but one of my favorites I will share was we finally hiked to a beautiful waterfall on the Napali Coast that is about nine miles round trip. Two miles to the most beautiful beach that you feel that you are on a movie set and in the movie that you want to run down the beach and have your hair flowing, and two and 1/2 miles to a waterfall. The hike is so beautiful and filled with lots of amazing nature scenes. We ate fresh mangoes on the trail that would fall from trees. You follow a creek up to the water fall, that you cross a few times. The picture can be deceiving, this water fall is a few hundred feet up a steep mountain. We are standing a little away from it in this picture. We watched the sunset after we came back from our hike on Kee' Beach, my favorite of all things to do in Hawaii. We survived and had a wonderful time with our friends. We left the kids home to fend for themselves, well not really Cara and Jake were the guardians over them. They had a great time and we are back to normal. Summer is going fast and school is just around the corner. We will do our annual camping trip here in July and are excited to have us all together again since Dustin is home.

Brief Update!

2008-06-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, we are all alive and doing well. Alicia is home and got a job working for a spay and neuter clinic. She loves working with the animals and taking away their ability to pro-create. Dustin is working for empire CAT southwest and loves it, he is working the 3-11 shift and works alot of overtime. They are both attending the singles ward and socializing every weekend. Weston is home from EFY and is bored but we are keeping him busy catching up on his chores. We had the Stake Exodus (trek) and girls camp and super activity all in one week and then Weston went to EFY. Scott and I are still doing our regular work and trying to keep up with all the other activities that we have to do. Savanna and Larissa are literally chilling this summer, they are not involved in any activities but are doing a reading program at home for money. It has been working well and they get paid for giving me a report on the book. As of today we have 12 chicken's, two turkey's, two goats, two lop ear rabbits, wait I mean one rabbit. One succumbed to death today by unknown reason while the other one lived on. I was with the rabbit when he took his last breath and yes Weston and I did two person CPR and was unable to revive the rabbit and we unfortunately had to call the death at 2:38pm today. Dustin was able to bury the rabbit by the new citrus tree which will be named Pierre from now on and was on time to work at 3:00pm. The lesson of life and death and how quickly it can changed was learned at the Clouse home today. We will continue to keep up on our reports of our family and make sure to take time viewing the new pictures!!

I am alive!

2008-04-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

Ok peeps who ever reads this I am so sorry but I forget that I have a blog. I like being able to put down my thoughts really I do. I have been so busy that I am exhausted. I like all the things I am doing but I am not organized. I am going to start to write down my schedule and all the things I am suppose to do every day. It has been helping. I am now in the process of throwing away everything I don't use in the house I am so tired of clutter. We did the boys room Saturday and it looks great. I believe that we should only have stuff in our house that we need, if we don't have it borrow it from a friend!! Dustin is working full time at Empire we really don't see him very often he is going to work the 3 to 11 shift. Alicia will come home next week. Weston is finishing up his busiest semester and Savanna and Larissa are doing great. I am going to pick up Alicia next week and that will be fun to be with her again. We will go to Women's conference before we drive home. I hope I learn something from the speakers that will help me get with it!! I am working more than I want. The hospital keeps calling me and of course I say no. But I am on call three times and they use to not call me for any of them and now I have been getting called every time. I just get my uniform ready and plan on it. I had to do Labor and Delivery last time I was there I really don;t like doing that any more because it is just to stressful. I love Post- partum and wish I could do just that. I got that side of the job down and now they want to re-train me for Labor. Anyway I must go to sleep and chill and get ready for the new day.

Spring is here!

2008-03-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

OK it has been a few weeks, but I love the weather and I have been enjoying life. We are all going different ways this weekend and I am feeling a bit frazzled today. Dustin is going back to his mission tomorrow to do his time with the Mission President and the missionaries that will be leaving on Tuesday his release date. They have been so nice to him and have let him go through the motions in order for him to have closure. This is his second visit to do the normal stuff he would have done if he were still there. I guess that is the benefit of having a mission so close. Alicia has been here for the week with a few friends from school. She hasn't been seen much because of all the socializing but I OK with that. She needs to have a fun spring break since her schedule back at school is really stressful and crazy. She will leave tomorrow or Sunday as well. We are taking the rest of the kids to Mexico with Kathy and Wayne. They were so nice to invite our family to enjoy the break with them. It will be a much need vacation for us all. We are staying busy and surprised at how fast life goes. Stop for a moment and call a Friend is my new goal. Friends are so important and we need many and great ones. Well I must go now and finish packing and cleaning the house. I always like leaving a clean house to come to.

I had a great week!

2008-02-29T06:14:00.000-08:00

Well I am doing much better! My taxes are in to the accountant and Dustin is doing good in school, Weston is doing great in track, Savanna doesn't hate me right now, and Larissa is great! Alicia though needs to email and call more! Scott is always great, I have him trained well. I am reading a few books right now and they are very enlightening. I am reading one about the Holocaust and what one guy had to go through. It is by Victor Frankel and it is small but very powerful. It was recommended by a Doctor I know at the hospital who was tired of everyone complaining about having 2:00pm church for another year. He recommended it to all of them to read and when they were done see if 2:00pm church isn't so bad. He is right we have nothing to complain about. They lived every minute just to survive and in the worst conditions. So I am doing better and will continue to look at life very positively and not complain. I am looking forward to Alicia coming home for a week. Hopefully we will get to spend some time with her. I love the weather it would be awesome if it would stay like this. I am itching to go see movies, so if anyone wants to go anytime call me! Have a great day!

I almost forgot I had a blog!

2008-02-21T20:06:00.000-08:00

I need to post more often. Life since Christmas has been busy. Dustin has adjusted and it is nice having him home. Alicia surprised us and came for the weekend and it was so fun to see her. She will be back March 7Th for a week. I will enjoy hanging with her again. She usually comes home to sleep though. Savanna and Weston are busy doing track everyday after school so everyone at night is so tired. Dustin is working full time and comes home beat and tired. He is going to school and loves his classes. Scott and I are still working and staying very busy. My second job is my church calling. I was fantasizing about not having a church calling and just being one of those members who just comes to church but avoids any big callings, then I woke up. I was thinking that I have had a busy calling for years and I am sure I just need to say no or move. I am feeling a little burned out. I think I just need to get my house organized. I also need cleaning ladies and a pool guy and we could use a yard guy and...a second job!! I know what I need a vacation again. Whenever I see airplanes flying in the sky I dream of being on it going somewhere. I never call my family and I love them very much and think of them everyday does that count? I want to just stay home one day make popcorn and watch movies. I am going through a midlife crisis and just need a moment to myself. Don't worry if you read this, it is not a suicide note or anything, I really do like life, I just need to change a few things. Well I think I will go finish my taxes and then go to sleep early tonight, for tomorrow is another day!

Elder Clouse has returned!

2007-12-25T12:53:00.000-08:00

What a week this has been. Try having a major life experience happen the week before Christmas. It has been crazy yet wonderful. It was nice to have all the kids hear at Christmas. He is doing great, adjusting like a normal missionary does. He is pretty happy to be back with family and friends and is excited about the start of his new life. He is talking about a job and school which is great and the kids love having him here. It has been hard for me to relax but I did take a three hour nap this morning and it was awesome. That is the blessing of having older children at Christmas. We were done with presents and breakfast by 8:30am. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas morning. Take care!

I am feeling better!

2007-12-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know it has been two weeks since I wrote anything, but I have been busy (see December Oh My ! blog). I am done shopping for Christmas and I have almost everything wrapped. I plan on enjoying the Christmas parties and the Season next week. I am feeling pretty happy. I get to talk with Dustin on Christmas day and that will be our official last call of his mission. He will be home on March 11th. We are getting so excited and I can hardly wait. Two years is so long. I want to see what a nice young man he has grown up to be. We had fun at the Wilkins Adult party last night. It was so nice and Darrin and Annette do such a great job. Annette is an excellent cook. It was better than any nice restaurant. I was at Wal-mart yesterday and going there on a Saturday at Christmas is so entertaining. I love to people watch and it gives you more time because the lines take longer than getting everything in your cart. You have to be discreet because there might be people who are people watching you. It is funny how the freaks look at you like your a freak because you are normal. Anyway I hope everyone has a great Christmas and I will keep you posted!

December..Oh My!

2007-12-02T15:54:00.000-08:00

It is already December 2nd and I don't have my shopping done. I barely got the decorations up and there are still some finishing touches I need to do. I can't focus on anything but wanting to take a nap. I have been waking up early in the morning thinking of all the things I should be doing instead of sleeping. I thought the holidays were suppose to be fun and exciting...for who! The stores are excited that the get to make money at the end of the year while everyone else gets to lose all their savings they saved up all year. I have decided that I am not going to be down but I am going to look for the good in the Christmas season. I am going to invite the neighbors to the ward Christmas party and give them a copy of the temple light schedule. I am going to look for ways to be kind to strangers and I am going to say hi to all the Salvation Army bell ringers this year even if I am going into the store with only my debit card in my pocket and no change to put in the basket. I am going to be extra nice to my children, because they think I am mean sometimes. I am going to read some Christmas stories and share them with my family. I am going to listen to Christmas music and bake yummy treats all month. I am going to really listen to the true meaning of Christmas and remember the 'reason for the season', The Savior's Birth. And Yes! I will continues to say Merry Christmas to everyone I meet and turn on the lights on my Christmas Tree! I feel better already.

Alicia is Home!

2007-11-17T20:56:00.000-08:00

Alicia got home last night and it has been fun having her around again. She has lost weight and her hair is short. She looks great and she was excited to see her friends again. We spent the day together and we went to the Gilbert Day's Parade, shopping for coats, lunch with family, a nephew's baptism, then to the girls recital. Oh yeah she got a new phone because her phone went off during the confirmation of a little boy. Her phone was on silence and it randomly goes off. The song was from Les Mis so at least it had a good message! A busy day and I am tired. I am only on the computer looking at my emails and thought I would jot down my day. One thing I learned today is to enjoy every moment because the days seem shorter. Scott and Weston are still hunting deer and will be home tomorrow. I get the bed and the remote all to myself one more night. Well I am tired and need to go veg out. Bye.

Veterans Day

2007-11-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

How do we explain to children that when they have school off for Veterans Day that it is for us to honor the Veterans and the military of our country. It does not mean that we need to be entertained and go to the mall. The word holiday has different meaning's to children. It means 'party' and what fun are we going to do today. I should not be so negative but maybe compromise like let's do something constructive like clean the house in the morning go to the see the Veteran's parade and then we can go to a movie in the afternoon. Any suggestions? Also just a thought about all the Mormon homes in my neighborhood that have flags on poles in their front yards. It has been difficult for the anti-Mormon neighbor's to accept that Mormon's are Christians but now they are finding out that we are patriotic too! What a crazy world we live in that Mormon's would be Christians and patriotic!

Elder Clouse update!

2007-11-09T19:38:00.000-08:00

Elder Clouse called me on Tuesday night and let me know how his Doctor appointment went. Long story short he is legally blind in both eyes with the right one being able to be corrected with a contact lens or glasses. His bad eye is 20/400 and has the optic nerve with a twist in it and it doesn't send any nerve impulses to the eye. The good one is also 20/400, as bad as you can get so it won't get any worse. His brain knows only sight from one eye since birth. I feel he is watched over because most people don't even know he is blind in one eye and he does so many things and stays as positive as he can. The doctor told him to take care of his one eye so he could see his wife someday. He is my inspiration, he has had to overcome so much yet keeps working hard and has such a fun and enjoyable personality. We look forward to getting him back home with us.

Let's Blog!

2007-11-09T19:31:00.001-08:00

Start a blog by going to blogspot.com and create a blog then go to customize- settings- permission and add my email address. I would love to keep in touch. I am going to only use it for family and friends. I have issues with privacy and want to keep my life limited to only people I trust.

2007-11-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

This is my first post ever on my blog. I thought I would share a bit about my week. I have been training at the new hospital, renewing my credentials for nursing (NRP, ACLS, BLS) for the last month. I finished today and am also done with YW Leadership training meeting last night which was awesome. I am finally feeling a little less stressed and can start looking forward to Alicia coming home, the holidays and the count down to Dustin coming home. Weston and Scott are gone hunting and Savanna is having a birthday party tonight, and Larissa has a friend over and I am going to watch a movie and veg out! I haven't even finished the book Twilight. I will start again tonight and hopefully finish this weekend. I need to go on another trip is what I need to do. Any suggestions of where I should go? I should probably go and check on the girls at the party I am in the office and it is too quiet in the other room. I threatened them that if any of them called a boy on the phone they would have to go home. They are pretty nice girls and so cute. Savanna turned 13 on Monday and she made cheer leading so they are doing cheers and stuff. It's actually quite cute. Anyway I am going to go veg now. Take care.