More London Pictures

Picture 1: Jason and I on day 1 in London.







Picture 2: Jason and I with Doris Christopher the founder of the Pampered Chef company.

Picture 3: At our dinner in the Groverner's House Hotel Ballroom, our entertainment were the Welsh guards playing awesome music.

Picture 4: In the prison in the Tower of London

Picture 5: Jason and I sitting in a rock called "Devil's Rock" in Avesbury, England


Picture 6: Jason and I all dressed up for our formal dinner event. Here are the Pampered Chef signs that were in all the hotels. So cool!

Pampered Chef trips are the best. If you've ever considered having a really fun job you should look into it. Go to www.Pamperedchef.com then when signing up just click on Come Join Us, then click on Start Agreement, then put in my Consultant number 121936 and my last name Clark. There are so many awesome things about Pampered Chef, too numerous to mention, but seriously 8 trips earned in 10 years of the business along with tons of other prizes. Just try it, you just might love it!!!

To London and Back

Jason and I just went to London. It was awesome. I earned this trip through Pampered Chef so everything was completely free except for a few meals and even then Pampered Chef gave us $350 in spending cash to offset some of that expense.

Everything there was so entirely fascinating to me. I loved everything about London except all the cigarette smoke. Seems like everyone there smokes. That was surprising.

I recommend London as a place to go, however bring double the cash that you think you will need.

I loved Portabello Rd. it was my favorite place to shop. Just like in the movie "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" it is still a market place to this day full of fun antiques and treasures.

The next trip I'm trying to earn for Jason and I is Riviera Maya, Mexico. This is an all inclusive trip so it will include everything.

Now that we are home it's back to the schedule of everything. Here's how our life plays out.

Sunday we all sleep in, that's nice, then we have a late breakfast, then go to church from 11:30 to 2:30 then we just do stuff as a family all day like watch family movies, read books, take family walks, play in the back yard, play a board game or do absolutely nothing.

Monday through Friday: Jason works from 8-4:30 then some nights he teaches at Core fitness

Jason and I like to go on a date once a week if possible.

I have a crazy schedule that is never the same week to week. For the most part, here is how it goes:

Mondays I teach Body Pump and sometimes Zumba. Zumba is a Latin Dance aerobic class, go to http://www.zumba.com/ to find out more.

Tuesdays I donate plasma and I also teach Body Step which is from the Les Mills programs out of New Zealand. Go to http://www.lesmillsusa.com/

This particular Tuesday I have to go to Target to be a mystery shopper, but I'm not mystery shopping this time, I'm just giving them some new credit card applications that were mailed to me. Target is over by the plasma center and the plasma center is over by the new West side Core fitness that I teach at on Tuesdays, so I won't be wasting gas. Gas here in Iowa is up to $3.55 a gallon, it is killing us financially. I just wish we'd all get a raise since everything else is going up in price.

Wednesdays I teach early in the morning Body Pump at 5:20 a.m. It's a killer to get up at 4:30 to eat and get ready just to work out, but it's also nice to have it over with. Then all day I work at HyVee, a local grocery store that I occasionally work at once to twice a week.

Thursdays are my day to be free. I clean house, donate plasma if I feel like it, practice choreography for my dance and aerobics classes, visit teach sisters from church, have lunch with friends, do Pampered Chef stuff, laundry and much more. Sometimes when I'm really lucky I get a nap on Thursdays, this is rare, but nice when it happens.

Fridays I teach Body Step early in the morning at the old East side Core fitness then 3 hours later teach Body Pump at the same gym. Then some Fridays I head over to HyVee to work for 4 hours if I don't have Dr. appts. and such.

Saturdays I usually do a Pampered Chef party in the morning or clean house and spend time with the family. Depends on the week.

There you have it. The life of the Clarks.

Chapter 1

I always seem to have so much to say but not everything I have to say fits (content-wise) on my work blog or on my extended family's blog. So here we go.

Michelle and I are as different as two people can possible be so most likely our posts will be very different. Really the only things we have in common are our children and our love of fitness. We have 6 children that range in age from 6 to 14 (the 14-year-old may not make it to 15 if he doesn't rearrange his attitude). Michelle and I also teach several different fitness classes at a local gym. We both teach Body Step and Body Pump while Michelle teaches a latin aerobics dance class call Zumba and I teach an athlete training class called Body Attack. We both love to teach and have been doing so for a few years now. Unfortunately, we are both a bit injured right now and have had to pull back a little. Michelle is suffering from what is most likely a stress fracture in her left shin while I managed to pull something (most likely my plantar fascia) in the arch of my foot. Tonight I am going for a bike ride to get some kind of exercise. Not being able to do anything is driving me crazy. Michelle is able to at least teach her classes although she is not supposed to really be doing much in step.

Scott's sixth birthday was last week. Besides some clothes, he got a transformer and a tub of Legos. Lately, my boys have really been into Legos. Scott, Jared, and Brenden will spend hours in their room building things - at least I know where they are. Yesterday, Scott brought me in a helicopter and a truck he had built. He was pretty proud.

One of Scott's primary teachers was out of town yesterday so I had the opportunity to sit in with his class to maintain the Church's two teacher policy. It was interesting to watch my little boy (my baby) interact with his classmates and teacher and answer questions. It reminded my that he is no longer the baby that he used to be. It is a little sad knowing that he is my last. Both Michelle and I love children and have been blessed with 6 of the best - especially when they are asleep. We are told constantly by people at their schools and at church how helpful and respectful they are. Although I know that it is really true, I sometimes wonder if they got my children mixed up with somebody else. I guess respect doesn't always come home with them.