I was born on November 24, 1991 into the James Neil and Christina Teichert Clark family. I became the 10th child and lucky me, I have a younger brother too. It was a Sunday morning in Winimac, Indiana. My family was living in a warehouse at the time. They didn't live there long, but nevertheless they lived in a warehouse. They all try and forget that I think because they don't talk much about it. If they do, it is almost like they were ashamed at the time. The was not being used at the time by any business, however it was just holding some equipment. Joe Thurmin was the man's name that let my family live there. We used the office spaces as our bedrooms and shared one tiny bathroom that only had a shower.
When I was born my sister Gillian who is just shy of 3 years older than I am was not the happiest I believe. See, when I was brought home from the hospital Gillian came up to me and slapped me across the face. "Take it back," she had said. We joke about it now, but growing up, after I learned this story, it seemed to make sense why we were always at odds with one another. The best part is, Gillian and I are now very close. My oldest brother, Jason was on a mission in Maine and came home just weeks after I was born. Just in time to help us move into our nice, new, and big home, and Christmas. We call this home, the big yellow house. The warehouse was in Francisville. This big house, with the big yard to play baseball in, was in Logansport. I don't remember anything from living in Indiana, even though we didn't leave until I was 3 years old. Even though I don't remember anything myself, my family knows many stories. Mom and all my sisters will always tell me about just how bad I had reflux as a baby. I threw up on basically every person in my ward. They would want to hold me but as soon as I was moved, I would projectile vomit all over them. Knowing that, it comes as no real surprise that 2nd oldest would have the same problems. No colic for either of us, but lots of reflux and lots of spit up to clean up. When I was about 3 months old, Gillian, 3 years old at the time, was wanting to be a big sister and a big helper. She must have heard me crying after waking from a nap and got me out of the crib. My mom recalled her terror as she saw Gillian coming down the stairs with me, arms wrapped around my tiny (not so tiny, I was a very chunky baby) neck. I was quiet. "I didn't want to yell or scream incase she got scared or upset and dropped you or went back up the stairs. So I just said, 'Oh thank you for getting her up,' as I ran up and grabbed you from her." Gillian never got me up after that. Funny thing is all the stories of me at this time all involve Gillian. I would be about 2 or so when I got my scar on my left eyebrow. We used to play this game where I would get a long sleeve shirt on and put my arms inside so my sleeves were empty. Gillian then would grab the sleeves and swing me around by them. Well our brown couch in the living room had the springs give out. In order to still use it, a piece of plywood had been placed under the cushions, but a corner was sticking out. We swung around and then my head and the plywood corner collided. I have the scar to prove it still. When we moved from the big yellow house in Logansport my family left some wonderful people behind. Dad had gone ahead with all the boys (minus Jason who was now married with kids, living in Idaho and going to Rex College- now BYU-Idaho) in October of 1994. Us girls all stayed back in Indiana to sell the house and pack until December 16, 1994. My family had gone to a ward Christmas party and there I received a priesthood blessing from the bishop. I had a very high fever and we were leaving the next morning. Now I said I didn't have any memories of Indiana, and I guess that could be considered a lie. However the only memory I have is of us getting into the Penske truck. I used to call those trucks the big yellow trucks (see a theme? It's kind of funny) for years, probably until about age 6 or 7. Now because of that blessing I received and the faith of Mom, my fever broke and I was not sick the whole trip! Talk about having a lot of faith! Mom drove across the country with all 5 of us girls. She has grit, and lots of it. We arrived in Utah on the 19th and stayed in my Uncle Clifford's (my dad's oldest brother) house in Benjamin, UT, until they came home from serving a mission a few months later. When they got back we moved to Spring Lake, into the home of another one of my Dad's brothers, Uncle Jack for about 2 weeks. We then left for our house in Spanish Fork, UT, just down the street from Spanish Fork High School, in about March or April of 1995.
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Kaitlin Clark LanhamWife and mother. Dance enthusiast. Amateur baker. Archives
March 2020
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