To Courtney: Love, Your Husband

My dear, dear wife:

I love you because you are smart, witty, happy and fun.  You are spiritually sensitive and whole-heart committed to doing what is right.  You give me your time, your pride, your body (hubba BUBBA) and my favorite toy of all – my little boy. 

If we have a girl, hooray!  The Chief will have a little sister to look after, and I’ll have a little girl to dote upon. You’ll have a little you, and only you are so eminently qualified to raise her.  I have complete confidence in that.  And in my own cluelessness.

If we have a boy, hooray!  The Brown Eyed Club will advance its membership, and we’ll have a little experience in stinky feet, VROOM, cruck, and pwane.

Either way, I know more and more every month and each day that we live our family - that you are for me, and I am for you.  And I love you. 

It’s just us.  

To Courtney: Love, Your Sister Stephanie

After my first kiss when I was 16, I went home and first thing, called up Courtney who was attending the University of Utah in Salt Lake.  I stayed on the line with Court going over every little detail, how it was, what it was like, how long etc.  I gave her the scoop and then began to cry.  I told her how awful and awkward it was and how I hated it so much. Her advise to me was so kind and sensitive and calmed me down beyond words.  

When I was pregnant with my second baby, I took the test then called Courtney.  I am pregnant I told her!  She screamed and cried with me.  We talked about when the baby was due, where I would deliver and when I was doing to tell my husband.  She was always first to know about everything.  I ended up naming my daughter Jane after Courtney Jane.  A tribute to my sister and my advocate.

In 2008 I got in a plane crash and my sister Courtney took my three children under her wings and loved them as her own.  She does that because we are sisters who love and trust each other.  I will forever be indebted to her.  It was such a relief to know that Courtney was catering to my children as I would if I were not in the hospital.  

"That's what sisters do" she told reporters when asked why she took my children after the accident.  She is right, that is what sisters do, 

Congrats Court.  Love you!

Stephanie

To Courtney: Love, Your Brother Andrew

I've compared my siblings, all 8, to a car....you see if we siblings were a car traveling together in sync, probably to some peaceful destination, what part of the car would I be? Follow me here.... I'll start with Steve. Steve represents the 4 tires. Dependable, durable keeping us all grounded on our journey. Next is Page. Page would be the steering wheel, keeping the car safe and keeping us all on the right path onward toward our destination. Matt might be the accelerator always wanting to go faster than the speed limit allows, looking for the path less traveled in hopes of using the 4 wheel drive. Christopher might be the radio/cd player entertaining the passengers with whit while keeping small children entertained. Jesse is probably the radiator..keeping us all cool and comfortable. Lucy the brakes, a little cautious about accelerator but has everyone's best interest in mind. Stephanie would be the shiny red paint job our car shows off. Me?.....muffler. That brings me to Courtney. You see Courtney is the engine of our car. She is the heart and soul of all the cars parts. We do not move without her. She gives to all of us in some way. Our car wouldn't work if the engine wasn't always firing on all 8 cylinders which ours does. We know if we take good care of the engine, the engine will take care of us!  

I don't think my relationship with Courtney flourished until we were adults. In our early years, my immaturity often embarrassed Courtney and wreaked havoc on her teen age years. . However, today it's different. I've repented of my adolescence. Courtney knows I love her. I can go over to her house at lunch time unannounced for a quesadilla. I can talk to her about the gossip in the office or maybe fill her in on the cougar football scene so she can talk the talk on her blog. 

Courtney finds herself on the cusp of welcoming into this harsh world a very lucky child of God. I can't think of a better home to be born into. She will see to it that the baby is surrounded with the love of our Heavenly Father. Courtney has a knack of making the environment around her peaceful, filled with love and laughter. Great learning of a spiritual sort will be had by this baby. She truly is one of the great mothers on the earth today. 

When this next baby comes I will think back to Courtney at 15 or 16 years old. Maybe a Friday night at the Clark house. Courtney and some friends watching the movie “She's Having a Baby.  You know Alec Baldwin and Kevin Bacon. Classic! It got a lot of run at our house...don't think Mom really knew what was in that movie The young couple so desperately wanting a baby. And they do. And Kate Bush singing...”I stand outside this woman's work...this woman's world.......I should be crying but I just can't let it show......” 

I am blessed to have great women in my life. Today this is my tribute to Courtney Jane Kendrick.

To Courtney: Love, Your Nieces and Nephews

I love Courtney because...

Emma (13)- She is so fun and loving and I love her style.

Maggie (9)-  She's fun to be around.

Emily (16)- She is a good role model.

Lindsay Kay (15)- She lets my friends and me hang out at her house.

Olivia (14)- She is so much fun and is so funny! I love her.

Layton (18)- She has really good music taste.

Clark (16)- She makes babies that are easy to babysit.

Chicky (10)- She has a fun personality and always has good treats. She pays big bones for babysitting.

LoLo (9)- She is a great singer!

Stella (6)- She is always caring and loving. She makes me laugh. She was nice to make me a perfect blog.

Claire (8)- She's really nice and spicy.

Jane (7)-She has a candy shelf and she gave me pudding.

Lydia (7)- She's really cute and I like her hair.

Miles (11) and Owen (10)- She's awesome and nice and friendly. She's not one of those mean aunts who whip us and are strict.

To Courtney: Love, Your Mom

Courtney arrived in the Clark family during the wonderful month of March.  However, she actually came in a very howling snowstorm in Lakewood, Colorado but no matter--she came as a GIRL!!! With four brothers and one sister, she was the answer to prayers, the joy to her sister and a beautiful blessing to her mother who had suffered a miscarriage a year before.  She came home from the hospital to the chicken pox--did she get them?  She did not.  Did she sleep well?  She did not.  Did she cry alot?  She did.  We loved her anyway and as the years went by we realized we were dealing with a unique little girl.  And now a big girl having babies.  The mystery of Courtney is that she is thoughtful about many things.  She ponders and prays about everything.  The Lord reveals to Courtney whatsoever she should do (Job 1:9) and she does it.  When we were all worried about her having a baby (getting pregnant) she admonished us to be patient and wait upon
the Lord (D&C 98:2) which she was so willing to do.  She was granted her desire in due time and the Chief was chosen and prepared to be her son.  She is an intent mother but only with her heart.  Her life is lovely.  She is slow to anger, slow to impatience, slow to weariness.  Her children will come to a mature mother who will allow them to be unique just like she was and is.
 I'm in awe of you Court!   My love for you as your mother knows no bounds and I am richer and wiser because of your example.  Courtney Jane,  I love you my darling girl!
your mom

To Courtney: Love, Lucy

My dear sweet older sister Courtney,
  I love you so much that I can't even begin to express myself, I am definitely no cjane with writing. I am proud to be your sister, you are so talented and a lot of fun to be around. That explains why I am at your house everyday. I could write all the many reasons why I love you, but what I admire the most about you is the kind of mother you are. You are so patient with the Chief and you LOVE him so much. You love to hold him and kiss him, I love how you laugh at little things he does that I think most moms wouldn't even notice. You take time with him and stay home to be his mom. I know Heavenly Father is so pleased with you and that is why you are having another one. (lets hope it's a girl) Courtney I love you so much I hope we continue to raise our children together and learn from eachother. You are a huge part of my life and I couldn't be more blessed to have you as an older sister.
I LOVE YOU
Lucy

To Courtney: Love, Design Mom (Gabrielle Blair)

When I first met Courtney, she was still in high school. (In fact, I believe I have a memory of Courtney dressed as a teenage fortune teller dispensing wisdom and fortunes at a Clark family Halloween party. Sorry the details are fuzzy, Courtney. At the time, I wasn't paying very good attention, because I was too busy realizing that Ben Blair was my favorite person in the world). Fast forward a decade or so and I get acquainted with Courtney once again through her blog (found via her brother Topher's blog). It was fun to read the creative stylings of grown-up Courtney and especially fun to discover that she is straight up hilarious (because funny people are like gold to me). 

I've loved observing how Courtney's point of view has changed over the years. Courtney has been blogging for a long time. She was blogging when she worked full time. She was blogging through infertility. She was blogging through her first pregnancy. She blogged through a year of not knowing whether her sister would live or die. She blogs still today. I like how she approaches the world, even in these radically differing circumstances. 

No doubt her words have influenced many people, but I'm guessing that by putting herself out there in such an honest way, she's far more profoundly influenced, altered and changed the way she herself thinks of the world. It seems clear from her writing that her straightforward approach has made her point of view more flexible. More understanding. Which is the sort of practice that makes for the best kind of person. 

And Courtney is the best kind of person. Enthusiastic. Caring. And lots and lots of fun. 

Lucky, lucky new baby.

Design Mom