Hi Family,
It was great to read the newsletter over e-mail today... what a great way to catch up! I thought I'd post a few more pictures. The first one is a picture of Joanne at her first Pow wow. I didn't get a good one of her dancing because she was a bit too shy. She's a "fancy shawl" dancer. The shawl and dance are meant to resemble a butterfly. With lots of practice it can be really beautiful! The second is of Bella and I watching her dance, and the last one is a shot from our back porch. Last night there was this amazing cloud display, of course a picture can't capture it, but maybe this'll give you an idea. We also had an incredible rainbow the other day which I took pictures of, but it was so spectacular in real life that I won't even bother with the pictures!
Love, Rachel and Austin, Joanne and Bella

By the way, I forgot to mention that Katja is one month old today!!

Love, Liz

p.s. thanks to all who wrote in to the newsletter - I'll try to have it out asap. You'll all be receiving your Family Address List and Birthday/Anniversary List very soon. I just have to print and mail them!

I mentioned Katja's cast in the newsletter (that is currently in progess of being put together and sent), so I won't write much about it - but thought I'd show you a picture of what she looks like with her cast on. It's a bit different this week, but I don't have a picture of it yet. This time, her foot is bent more to look like a foot, rather than a peg-leg! :)




This is Katja's feet before she got the first cast put on. Her club foot is a bit smaller than the other foot and a bit fatter too, just behind the toes.
There is a huge improvement now in her foot so I'll have to take a picture sometime when she gets her cast off to show you all the difference.
That's all for now,
Love Liz

Sorry that last one about Agawa was Robert and Ann and so is this one.
Don't think picture of dad and Murray on rocks at Bathtub Island worked. I will send try and send another and perhaps there will be different ones. I don't think it worked again. It seemed to hangup in uploading the picture.

We have never blogged before so here goes. Perhaps it will work, perhaps not - if I don't do it right.

We spent last week at Agawa Bay Park and had a wonderful time. Rhonda,Alexandra and Mackenzie were in our trailer and Marion Marshall and her 3 year old Abigail put up a tent on our site for a couple of nights.

Peter and CAthy Norris had an adjacent site and Dave and Debbie Yule had a site down the road.

We had company amongst us most days and on Thursday, Devon, Murray, Sandy (dad) and Jim yule made a day trip.

We took dad over to Bathtub Island and we thoroughly enjoyed our day.

The Great Lakes scenery and especially Lake Superior is so amazing.We often don't appreciate it as we should -- God's amazing handiwork on our doorsteps.

Hi All,

This is my first post and I have a bunch of photos I want to share eventually, but I thought I'd just try one to start with. This is our crazy little veggie garden, with monster tomato plants and an out-of-control pumpkin plant. If anyone knows how I can trim the pumpkin plant, please let me know. I haven't touched it because I don't want to hurt it :) Hope your gardens are all growing well, too!

Meredith & Ray

Here are some pictures of our little family.
Top left - Isaac's first trip to the beach on Canada Day (2 months)
Top right - one of Isaac's first smiles (7 weeks)
Bottom - all 3 ready for meeting. Isaac is 2 weeks old.
Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Joel, Jen, Rebekah, David & Isaac

Oops.
I was supposed to sign my post, sorry!
Hopefully the pictures made it pretty clear, but just in case, the most recent one is from Austin and Rachel.

Hi Clark Family!
Here are a few photos of our growing family.
Most of you are aware that Austin and I welcomed our 11 year old (foster) daughter to our family last August. Her name's Joanne. Here's a picture of her from our trip to Toronto in the spring. It's been a huge change for us, going from no kids to parenting an almost teenager! Yikes! It's been great though. Joanne is a wonderful girl, and we've watched her grow and change in some awesome ways over the past year. It's exciting to see the way God is working in her life. She'll be 12 in a couple of weeks, and we can't wait to celebrate her first birthday with us!
More recently we experienced another big change! We added to our family again, our second foster daughter joined our family four months ago. Her name is Bella, and she's exactly 8 months old.
Both girls are with us permanently, Joanne through our local family services agency, and with Bella we're beginning the adoption process. It gets complicated, but basically Bella is what's called a "crown ward", which makes adoption a possibility. Joanne is under what's called a "customary care agreement" which means we have an agreement with her biologicial parents, but we can't pursue legal adoption. Either way, it's permanent, which is all that matters to us!
I'm planning on putting an entry in the first family newsletter, so I won't say more right now. But here are some pictures, enjoy!

Dear Grandpa and Family

We wanted to post this picture of Grandma and Grandpa on the day we celebrated their 60th Anniversary.

"[We] sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the cloud to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Rebekah also wanted to post a copy of a "Poem" she wrote about grandma after her funeral.

MY SWEET GRANDMA
Grandma, I love you
But I know I will see you some day in heaven.
I love your special spoon
And I know you are having a good time in
heaven and I know when I get there I will have
a good time with you and lots of other people
and especially with Jesus

Love Rebekah
XOXOXOXO

With our love to all as we remember GRANDMA
Joel, Jen, Rebekah, David & Isaac XO

Just adding a few pictures here. The "bathing babes" are Marika and her friend Olivia Kember. =) The one of Marika and Shaelyn in the bucket is from our time in Panama in June. The family photo was taken on June 2, 2006 at Tim's brother Mark's wedding.
Hope you enjoy!

Love, Steph

Here's a few pictures to update her 'newborn' photos... Here she is, sound asleep after having her diaper and her clothes changed. She didn't wake up through the whole ordeal!


The day Dad left for the States, we got a photo together. Katja is quite hungry and not wanting to smile at all!! :) Life's rough when you're only 2 weeks old eh? This is our backyard!

Family of three! Surprisingly, we have very few pictures of the 3 of us - but I'm sure we'll get lots in time. Shockingly enough, Katja is sleeping again!! :)

The Sault Star - July 17th, 2006

Memoriam for Ruby Clark

CLARK - In loving memory of a dear wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother Ruby, who passed into the Lord's presence one year ago today, July 17, 2005.

Imagine: by Michael Podesta
Imagine stepping onto a shore and finding it Heaven.
Imagine taking hold of a hand and finding it's God's hand
Imagine breathing new air and finding it celestial air
Imagine feeling invigorated and finding it immortality,
Imagine passing from a storm and tempest to an unknown calm
Imagine waking and finding you're home.

Lovingly remembered as we wait to meet again at the Resurrection.
Sandy and family

Hello family,

As you can see I've enclosed a picture of the flower arrangement that you paid for and that is now sitting on Dad's firepplace in Mom's vase. It is a mixture of pale yellow and mauve roses as well as some other filler flowers. Dad likes it a lot. After having breakfast with Dad and then presenting these flowers, Deb and I along with Meredith and Julia went to the cemetery. We sang "When the Roll is Called up Yonder" and then prayed together. Dad then came over for supper and afterwards we watched a short video from Meredith and Ray's wedding which showed Mom and Dad walking down the aisle. Then we watched the video of their 50th anniversary. Dad enjoyed it thoroughly.
I had tried to arrange a pontoon boat ride on the river today with Elgin Johnson but it didn't happen - perhaps later in the week.
Much love to all.

for dad - July 17th

A day full of memories both joyful and poignant.

1944 – on this day, two amazingly beautiful people, promised before God and their families to love, honour and cherish each other. I, personally, am so thankful that they carried through on their promise…. the result…. our incredible loving family, that is a joy to be part of and to watch grow. Dad, you should be so proud – your children are loving, kind, generous of heart and spirit, funny, crazy, ambitious and most of all, have passed on those traits to their children and grandchildren.

2005 – on this day, our mom & grandma, your helpmate/loving wife and partner, in this Clark Family Venture, left us to go Home. I know that she continues to love you and all of us from that distant shore and is so proud of you and how you have been able to express your love for her and us and have also been strong and able to carry on despite a couple of physical challenges.

2006 – on this day I would love for us all to be together to celebrate this day of memories with you but as that is not possible I want to remind you that we are with you in heart and spirit and will take time today to reflect on how much July 17th means to all of us

I went through some of the pictures on my computer and found a couple that I liked and so include here for you.

Love you 2-7 Dad - Jil & Tom



As you always said dad "You don't have to be crazy, to be part of this family, but it sure helps!"



I've always loved this picture of the two of you - in harmony on Christmas day!!

xo

Here is the picture that Sarah sent me... This is Laura and Jessie Rodgers, 1.5 years old.

Also, a reminder, that since we're all signed in as the same name (Clark Family), you'll need to sign your name at the bottom of your entry so that we know who wrote it. The same if you make a comment on someone elses picture, you'll have to sign your name so we know who you are!
THANKS!
Liz