The Clarks: June 2008

DeBrekah

DeBrekah performing a sacred dance at the Star Search competition in New York

Sat. 14 June 2008, Sheraton Meadowlands

help with debt

http://www.cccsatl.org/

http://www.consumercredit.com/

Jaanilaupäev

Today is Jaanilaupäev, one of the biggest holidays in Estonia. If it doesn't rain, we plan to go to Loksa with three van loads of people to spend time at the beach, grill some meat and have a Jaanituli (a big bonfire). If it does rain, we will still have a party at the corps. It's a big day to be together with family, so we will be celebrating with our corps family!

Click here for an article that describes the day and it's traditions.

In LLLoving Memory

http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon/2008/06/edwina-froehlich-hero.html

http://www.getreligion.org/?p=3605

http://amywelborn.wordpress.com/2008/06/15/related-varia/

Chris graduating

On Tues. 17 June, we celebrated Christopher's graduation as a homeschooler! It looked something like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjg9cz4LsdA
:-D

Please say "congratulations" to Chris!

His e-mail address is:
chrisjohnclark@juno.com

Our mailing address here is:
J. Vilmsi 20-2
Tallinn 10126 EE
Estonia

If you want to give him a gift, we'd love it if you could send something from the list below (things he needs for college) to Uncle Billy's:
Major William Groff
23 Scandia Rd.
Congers NY 10920
(Uncle Billy will be driving Chris to Houghton College on 24 August.)

If you'd rather send money (!), please send it to him at:
Major Susan Kelly
326 Essex Ave.
Bloomfield 07003

Chris will arrive in America on Sat. 16 August, and is available if you'd like to invite him for a visit some time that week (ONE WEEK ONLY, so please speak up soon!)!

Chris’s dorm room will already be provided with: a twin-size bed, a desk, 2 shelves, a dresser with drawers, and some closet space. He needs the following:
alarm clock radio/CD player
electric shaver and/or razors & shaving cream
shampoo
soap
toothbrushes & toothpaste
Tylenol
band-aids & Neosporin
tissues
nail clippers
2 sets of standard-sized twin sheets & pillowcases
mattress cover
2 pillows
blanket/comforter
bedspread
towels & washcloths
umbrella
bath tote (bucket or tray to carry toiletries to shower)
dish soap
dusting cloths
markers
highlighters
scissors
tape
paperclips
bookends & small bookcase
stapler & staples
daily planner
power strip/surge protector
laundry detergent & dryer sheets
laundry bag & hamper
pens
mechanical pencils
printer paper
notebooks
binders
wastebasket
flashlight & batteries
plate
fork, spoon, knife
bowl
spill-proof travel mug
food storage containers
desk lamp (NOT halogen)
bulletin board & thumbtacks
plastic crates for storage
throw rug
clothes hangers
sticky-tac

THANK YOU!

Chris's Graduation

On June 17, Chris officially graduated from school. We had a special lunch together at a nearby Georgian restaurant to celebrate the occasion.

Chris even wore a tie, which shows what a big deal it was!

Elizabeth and Evelyn look on as Chris opens some of his graduation gifts.

Elizabeth, Peter and Chris sharing the special day.

In the evening, we had a chocolate chocolate cake (made from American cake mix with American frosting!).

Peter and Chris had a good time celebrating.

Elizabeth

When Chris moves to America for college in August, 12-year-old Elizabeth will inherit his bedroom (and Peter will move into hers).

This blogger writes about his 10-year-old daughter changing bedrooms, and it captured a taste of what's going on around here: http://www.pernellgoodyear.com/2008/04/changing-rooms-changing-habits.html

Yesterday, Tim and Anneli took Elizabeth to the phone company because she'll also be getting her very own cell phone (free with the plan!).

Evelyn

YCW

http://www.ycwimpact.com/

CFM

www.cfm.org

Wow, I just found this and felt like all my worlds aligned!

In LLLoving Memory

http://www.llli.org/edwina.html

Chick Yuill used to sing a song about William Booth: "When you found your destiny, you found mine, too!"

The La Leche League Founding Mothers have done so much for me and my family, and I am so grateful for them!

I really can't think what to write. The timing of her death coinciding with getting Chris ready to move to America for college is leaving me stunned.

Evelyn

World Breastfeeding Week

http://www.llli.org/docs/_site/Action_Folder08_pages1.pdf

The Business of Being Born

http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/

I'm a birth junkie; I admit it! From the moment Chris was born (18 years and 5 months ago!), I've been obsessed with childbirth. I've given birth myself three times and LOVED each birth. Lots of fun -- and I really mean that!

I remember when Elizabeth was born (12.5 years ago), the nurse THANKED me. I think she had never seen a woman give birth like that, under her own power, on the floor (!).

Then I had Peter (4 years and 3 months ago) -- my home birth baby, was was "supposed" to be born at a birthing center. Crazy birth, with paramedics who had absolutely NO idea what they were doing. My most painful labor (just me and Tim at that point). But wonderful!

I was a Bradley teacher for a few years, and it still seems to me to be the best "method" out there: http://www.bradleybirth.com/

Though of course, the best method of all is just listening to your own body and doing what it wants to do!

Evelyn

Saaremaa

It's about time that I put up some pictures from our vacation on Saaremaa, which is the largest of several islands on the Western coast of Estonia. It was a beautiful place and we had the rest tha we needed.

We stayed on the Southwestern coast in a small town called Kipi. To get there, we had to drive around 5 km on dirt roads--it was really remote! We had our own little cabin called the väike puhkemaja (small resting house). It was very rustic. We heated with a wood furnace and had a wood stove to cook with (there were also electric burners so it wasn't too tough to cook).

The place we stayed was a working farm (when we first arrived, the woman apologized for being dirty because she had been putting potatoes in the field). They had many animals, which was a dream come true for Elizabeth and Peter.