Monday, January 18, 2010

The First Decade in Pictures

Payton Clark @ 9 months
Josh learning to walk again 2001

Singapore Skyline 2000


Kori & Brad Clark 2005



Bali with Amie, Dean, Shane & Janese 2006



2005 - Kori's wedding





Shane & Janese - Singapore 2006






Carol Benedict 1952-2003







Family Cruise 2000








Climbing Mt. Batur in Bali 2007









12 grandkids -- 2008










Sunday, January 17, 2010

A New Decade

The older we get, the faster time goes by. It's pretty amazing. Our oldest grandkids have their learners permits and are driving! Our newest grandbaby who it seems was born just yesterday, is now 9 months old and crawling all over. Maybe the oddest thing about getting old is that I don't feel old. I look at pictures of myself, or look in the magnifying mirror (thanks Kori!), and wonder who that wrinkled face belongs to :) I still feel like I'm 18. I still want to experience everything that life has to offer.


Ten years ago, we were living in Singapore, and celebrated Y2K at the Boom Boom Room, watching a drag show. Then we went down to Orchard Road with 500K other people and cheered in amazement that the world hadn't ended at midnight after all.


The last decade whizzed by and was jam packed with lots of major life events-- moving back to CA, Josh's accident, moving to Portland, new jobs, new grandkids, new kids-in-law, new grand nieces and nephews, new friends, fabulous vacations with old friends and family, enjoying 2 years without working to explore the world, and the loss of Shaun's sister Carol and best friend Nanny. On March 4, 2004, Shaun and I got married! And a few months later, got our $60 license fee returned and our marriage voided.


Our hope for the next decade is continued health and safety for our friends and family, that our grandchildren who will be old enough to choose life partners pick someone who will fill their life with love and laughter, for peace, for continued adventures and the opportunity to experience the world, and for our right to legally marry. We've been together for almost 12 years now, it's time!