Month in Review: March 2008

Welcome to Month in Review: March 2008, documenting events for our family history. It may seem like I've given up blogging, but I'm still here. Here's what we've been up to:

• The big news of the month is that I'm pregnant! I'm now about 9 weeks along. We don't usually break the news this early, but since Chris decided to broadcast it, I figured I better mention it here. I'm fielding lots of questions about whether we're hoping to finally get a girl. Tommy keeps saying, "I think it will be a girl, but I'll still be happy if it's a boy." Sounds good to me.
  
• At the beginning of the month, Chris had a business trip to Boston, where he was trained and certified to teach David Allen's Getting Things Done program. This means he can conduct this particular productivity training at his place of employment. For those of you who haven't read Getting Things Done, it's a great book about being productive in whatever you're doing. I highly recommend it.
  
• Chris finished his last classes for his MBA program. Just so I feel like the last 9 arduous years are recognized and justified, I have to be sure to mention that he now has 3 degrees--Bachelors in Advertising/Marketing (BYU), Masters in HR (USU), and now his MBA (U of U). I am so proud of him for all his hard work. He always worked full-time, and always had outstanding grades. We took every chance we could to celebrate this month--last day of class? Let's get take-out! Last test? Milkshake night! Final paper turned in? Time to eat out! Of course when it came time to go out we had a busy night, so we had to choose a place that was close-by AND where the kids would not go too crazy AND where they would actually be willing to eat AND that wouldn't break the bank. Denny's it was! We still managed to have fun. Our final celebration will be in April when Chris and I take a trip to the East Coast to see baseball games galore! Congratulations Chris!
  
• David (1) is talking a lot more, although we still can't force him to say much more than he wants. He loves to say our names, and pronounces them all quite well, except "Tommy" which he pronounces as simply, ah-ee. He has started saying "thank you" without being prompted, which is always my favorite thing to hear! People constantly comment on David's happy personality. He is always smiling and giggling, and it makes us all so happy!
• Michael (3) has suddenly become obsessed with spelling, and is getting quite good at sounding out three-letter words. We introduced him to one of Tommy's favorite games from this age, "Last to First" where we say a word, then he says a word that starts with the last letter of our word, and so on. ex) CAT - TRIP - PENCIL - LETTER
  
• Tommy (6) participated in his first Chess tournament. He has been attending Chess Club this year, so it was exciting to put some of his skills into practice. He especially liked using his new chess clock for his "blitz" games. He doesn't have a personal coach or parents who make him play for hours a day, so he was one of the kids who was just there for the fun of it. He won a few matches, had a great time, and was very proud to receive a "participant" ribbon!
• I had a fun Girl's night out with my sisters-in-law, Karine, Brittany, and Lindsey, plus our good friend Michelle. (I miss all my other sisters-in-law!) We went to dinner and saw Penelope, which was cute. Over the last year or so I've been making more of a point to get out of the house and have some fun on my own. Chris is always willing to help make it happen, and I've found it to be great for my overall well-being, and for our marriage!
  
• We celebrated Easter in Lehi, where we attended the baby blessing of Phil & Karine's baby, little Philip. They were great hosts for a huge group of Clarks that weekend, and we had a fun time lounging around and playing games.
  
• Katie & Quin came to stay with us for a few days, since their Spring Break coincided with Tommy's this year. It's always fun to have them here--there were lots of treasure hunts, plays, some gymnastics, extra special snack-times, and movie nights!
• I just noticed that March marked ONE YEAR since I started blogging. It's been a fun new hobby for me; it's given me a voice and a feeling of individuality, while at the same helping me feel more connected and close to others. It's helped me improve on some things I've always wanted to do--take and share more family photos, record our history, keep up with loved ones, develop my talents, etc. Overall, it's been a year of personal growth!