Great Grandpa is Laid to Rest

An emotional day. The sun dawned bright and the air was cool and clear. "A day great for flying," Great grandfather might have said. As I looked down onto Grandfathers wrinkled and smiling face, spotted with vitiligo, his strong, large hands to his side, laying uncharacteristically still in the dark gray casket...I had an impulse to kiss his cheek and did. Cold and odd smelling. Grandfather was not there. It was only his old body, cast off a strong and adventurous spirit. Hannah stayed up last night and wrote a detailed card to her Great Grandpa Clayton. On the upper front she wrote, "I will always remember you!" in her best cursive. On the back she wrote," I miss you sooo much!" She asked if it would be all right to tuck inside the coffin with Great Grandpa. I called Grandma Clayton and she said that would be fine. She had tucked inside the card a necklace with a heart pendant that she received at her baptism with the word "Remember" on it. Rebekah sat on Edith's lap or next to Great Grandma, watching, crying, pondering life after death. Last night at the viewing for family, Jonathan asked Joseph at the open casket if he could touch Great Grandpa. Joe mentioned that he might touch his hand. This morning, I glimpsed Jonathan alone, quietly standing next to the coffin, reach up, and hold Great grandfathers hand--reverently, quietly, with a look of awe on his face. A moment of quiet reflections for an active boy. (Great) Grandfather would have been proud. Who knows...like the lyrics to the song, "Where is Heaven?" When you're with the ones you love it's right where you are! Perhaps the veil is closer than imagined and Grandpa Vaughn Clayton smiled upon us and the tributes to his heroic life. The children enjoyed the thoughtful "lunch" sacs prepared by Grandpa Keith Clayton for the ride to Ogden. Large Ziplocs contained wrapped danishes, various chips, puddings, desserts, drinks, and small candy. Internment was in west Ogden. Two small planes flew above us, children ran in the rural grasses amidst tombstones and bees flew amidst the flowers, including the purple carnations with the large white QB on wings sent by the Quiet Birdmen Society (old aviator buddies of Vaughns').

In Memorium, Vaughn Miner Clayton

(Great-Grandpa Clayton with Susannah, April 2007)

This morning my father called to inform me that Grandpa Vaughn Clayton died this morning at a care center in West Valley, Utah. He would have been 94 years old on November 27. Attendants believe he died around 4:00 a.m. Dad and Mom Clayton, David, Hyea Won, Hyea Won's mother, Kaya and Sonya visited with Grandpa Clayton yesterday and took pictures of him. Dad mentioned he was lucid but weak. He has had Congestive Heart Failure and dementia for several years. Some memories I have of my Grandpa Clayton include his white tickly mustache, his musk smelling cologne, and the smell of Halls cough drops, hearty hugs and kisses, fishing trips with boats he repaired and kept running himself in his shop, riding ATVs and on the back of his newest motorcycle, Christmas Eve dinners and program, Family Home Evening programs together, his special dialect: nippers (scissors), paramedic van (ambulance), stories of building Alliance Radio Tele-communication towers over seas (Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Greece, and the Holy Land travels), Skip-bo cards, Rummicub, etc... He was a man who was able to teach himself to drive and fly (back in the days when obtaining a pilots license was easier than a drivers license) and believed in the "make it do or do without" philosophy... He was the original MacGyver. Grandpa was adventurous and curious. He found out how to build things and then built them. He will be sorely missed and welcomed into heaven by his first wife, Eunice, and missed by his family and wife/caretaker Edith Jex Clayton. If it is true that "heaven is not so far away" then I hope he looks out after the rest of us...We love and will miss you, Grandpa.

Halloween is Here!

Surprise! Susannah cut her first tooth through (on the bottom left) today. She was a very cute Dalmation puppy for Trunk or Treating.

Jonathan was a fuzzy green caterpillar. He was very particular about his treats and would go up to a bowl of offered candy and sort through it to find different treats than he already had in his pumpkin candy bucket.

Rebekah was a very cute black cat!

Hannah has been deciding what to be for days...Her costume decisions changed minute by minute, hour by hour. She ended up being a "She Vampire" for the school Halloween Parade and two hours later being a beautiful ballerina for Trunk or Treating.

Joe and I wore our Mr. and Mrs. Incredible shirts. Who says they are costumes!?

In our neighborhood, children go to the nearby L.D.S. church for "Trunk or Treating." Ward members pull in their cars and open decorated trunks and children go from car trunk to trunk and get lots of candy quickly!

Susannah sucked through a bubble gum Dum- Dum sucker wrapper and realized all she had been missing! She grouched at me when I took off the remaining wrapper and squeeked until she got it back to suck on. She was very happy with herself and her sucker!

A friend, Mary Rencher was a detailed oven with a loaf of bread inside. I paused and told her how cute the costume was and she said, “it’s true you know! I really do have a ‘bun in the oven.’” He husband was the cook!

We also visited Grandma and Grandpa Clayton's Hobble Creek Canyon Ward Trunk or Treat where the children got bags of crayons, pictures to color, and some candy from Grandpa and hugs from Grandma.

At Aunt Anne's house on the way home, the children recieved full size candy bars, Rice Krispy bats and rats, and hot cider.

At home, the children got to select candy to go in a sandwich bag and offered the rest to the Great Pumpkin (over twelve pounds worth!).

He brought toys to all the children the next morning in place of their candy offering.

Preschool and Pumpkin Carving

Tuesday, Jonathan wanted to dress up as Caleb (Caleb Sherman, an active five year old down the street) for Halloween activities in his Rainbow Pre-school class. Hmm, we decided he could be a dragon slaying knight too.

We carved pumpkins the eve before Halloween. Rebekah chose a goblin theme. Hannah and Jonathan shared a pumpkin with Hannah's traditional one being on the front of Jonathans' Edvard Munch "The Scream" inspired one on the back.

A "Night at the Museum"

"A Night at the Museum"

Monday night, October 29, 2007 Joseph and I went to the Discovery Gateway in Salt Lake City to attend The Utah Education Association's Awards Event where Educator's Mutual received an award for it's years of service insuring teachers and school districts. The Museum was fully staffed and catered by tuxedo wearing butlers passing out Hor D'oeurves, single serving dinners, and desserts.

We mingled and got to check out the Robots exhibit and meet important legislators including Peter Corroon (Mayor of Salt Lake County).

Out on the terrace of the museum is a Life Flight helicopter pad where children (and adults alike) can sit and hear a simulated rescue mission.

We were entertained by selections from East High Schools' musical "High School Musical." A fun night!