A Place Where You Are

Everytime Peter & I get a chance to steal away are hearts take us to California. There we find our home away from home with Emma & her sweet family. They complete us. They complete our family. Without them we are left wanting for more time, more memories, more of the Clift family. It physically pains me to leave, to pull myself away from them. I entrust a piece of my heart to them everytime Alaska calls us north. North to that beautiful untamed majestic place. A place that I feel apart of. My past, my memories, my life. Alaska is where our story began. Sometimes I think that it would be nice to explore a new destination and one day call that new place "home". Somewhere where no one knows me. Knows my past, my story. To begin a wonderful new chapter together with my family. But there is something to be said about a place so familiar. Somewhere that you feel most like yourself. Alaska has always been that for me. It is where my children where all born. Here they have learned to fish the real Alaskan way ( with a dip net - no pole required ). Here where they have all learned to ride their bikes with snow still on the ground. Alaska, where it is a rare occasion to not have *SNOW* for Halloween! Where it is not uncommon to step out the door to a Moose on the front porch. Here the wildlife is all around us. There is something so comforting for me to be surrounded by snow capped mountains. Alaska, where when you open your stocked freezer to a years worth of moose meat & wild salmon ( and the occasional halibut fillet ). Where the Sun circles the sky for 3 months in the summer and disappears for 3 months in the winter. There is no place like it in all of the world! And I am proud to come from this beautiful Alaska. I don't know if my future will eventually take me away from this place I've known my whole life but I hope that where ever life takes me that I am with my sweet family . . . and with Emma's. My home & family may be in Alaska but I left a piece of my heart in California - After all "Home is where the heart is".

Our Day at the Beach 2-15-13

my little brother, Lathen

We Must Find Them! Posted: 23 Jul 2012 09:49 PM PDT "For there are many yet on the earth...who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it." -D & C 123:12 Every day missionaries around the world march forth to find.... to find "them that will receive you." (D&C 42:8) They press forward with faith and knowledge that someone is waiting for their message. The Texas McAllen Mission has had a great July. Missionaries are finding the prepared and teaching them. Baptisms are on the rise. Here are some experiences from some of the noble missionaries it is our privilege to serve with: This past week, I had an interesting experience. We were on exchanges and we hadn't had much success. While I was driving, I began to pray in my heart that we would be able to find the people that Heavenly Father has prepared for us in this area. I heard a voice say, "Turn left here." I followed the prompting and the inspiration continued to come. I saw a house and heard the voice again, "Here it is." We listened to the Spirit, we followed the Spirit, and we found the prepared people- a whole family of them! Our Heavenly Father does bless us! We have been teaching a lady for a while. Her sister had been unsupportive of her desire to be baptized into our church. But a miracle happened! We left the sister a pamphlet about the Restoration and when we came back, she had read it and now she wants to meet with us! She said what she read in the pamphlet was what she has been waiting her whole life to hear. It was so cool! The spirit was so strong. My companion was prompted by the Spirit to invite her to prepare for baptism. She accepted and has a date. It was an incredible experience! We had an awesome experience. Yes- it truly was awesome! We were riding our bikes down the street. I stopped so that I could show my companion a text message we had received in Spanish. A few seconds later, I looked up and I saw a man pushing his kids in this little car. He came all the way down his driveway toward us. I asked him how he was doing. I believed that we had met somewhere before. So I invited him to come to church. He said "Sure!" He didn't know where it was, so he told me that he wanted to follow us on our bikes. I thought he was going to get in his car. No- he and his two girls climbed on one bike and his son on another and they rode their bikes behind us to the church. It was rather far, but what a cool sight to see! We had a great lesson right there at the church and, of course, he has a baptismal date! Missionary work is the greatest work on the earth. It is Heavenly Father's work and His glory- to bring to pass the immortality and the eternal life of man! That's what we do in the Texas McAllen Mission!

Community Carnival

When I got the flyer on my door for FREE hamburgers, hotdogs, snow cones, cotton candy, face painting, and bouncy house tonight at our neighborhood park - How can you say no to that?! It's FREE & I don't have to make dinner - I'm loading the kids in the car & we are on our way!!

Ethan's eyes are opened to the AWESOMENESS that is Rainbow Snowcones!

Kylee with her sticky pink cotton candy face*

How many licks will it take for Logan to get to the middle of a Snowcone?!

my sweet little Davey Baby is having fun running and rolling around :)

Snowcones aren't nearly as sweet as my Jolee

Alaska Airlines Summer Picnic

Peter & the Kids

Sara & the kids

~ the GIRLS ~ Livia, Alaina, Jolee, Sydney, Shandelle, Kylee, & Maddie

Shandelle Bell & Smiley Kylee

- the BOYS - David, Ethan, Jack, Daemon, Dayton, Logan, Owen, Rome, & Kyle

Ethan has been BUSTED! Uh-Oh

Here is Officer Jack to escort his prisoner.hehehe:)

We have been here all of 45 minutes and Kylee already has a fat lip from falling down some concrete steps @ the Alaska Zoo.

Daemon is too cute to resist capturing him with his orange mustache!

David is trying so hard to eat all of the ice cream off of his spoon before it turns into a creamy vanilla puddle.

On your mark! . . . Get set! . . .

GO!!! (Ethan has definitely has the Osborn tongue trait - I swear it is genetic)

Ethan & Logan (Daddy stepped in for Logan to show the boys how the 3 legged race gets done . . . & he even busted a move on with Kylee in his arms - Way to go Dad!)

Logan & Ethan teamed up with another Boy for a "4 Legged Race" competing against all of the other 3 Legged contestants - the ref was a little skeptical - But the boys were confident and they WON!!! We were so proud of them for sticking with it & learning what it means to be a good sport - even when you don't win.

the ugly duckling - isn't ugly at all

momma swan with her little goslings

Maddie & Jolee are feeling very royal after they got their faces painted with pink tiara's adorned with jewels and sparkles.

Miss Tigress Alaina

Mommy's pretty little gems ~ oh how they sparkle and dance in the sunlight*

Madame Butterfly Sydney

Spiderman Dayton

Cinderella, Briar Rose, Rapunzel

always picture ready

Sydney & Jolee

Alaina & Jolee

little miss Hailey

Kayden would make a very good Tigger, yes?

E-Man

Minnie Pearl ~ I Luv, Luv, Luv this picture!

Kylee Isabella

Brayden & George

John Wayne

Toothless

my Sweet Pea

Daddy's Girls XoXo

Polar Bears

Tiger

my darling girls

my sweet boys

On the way home from the zoo we stopped at Nana & Papa's house to hold the baby chicks for a bit. David was quite taken with them and wanted to hold his little baby while he played cars. The chick was so content to let him without making a peep -- this picture says it all.