A wonderful day for our family to visit the temple open house together and talk about the sacred promises made there and our hopes for each of our children. It was very crowded and hot. It made us grateful for all that worked hard in the sun to make our day pleasant and build these marvelous structures.
On Pioneer Day, we had a welcome surprise! Thanks to Aunt Beth and her barn connections, we got a cute little kitten the children named Huckleberry. (A close second in the name game was Skye). Now, we are learning all about responsibility and pet care.
Each year our LDS ward has the young children of the Primary dress up in Pioneer outfits and parade around a local park in a parade enactment of the Mormon Pioneers entering the Salt Lake Valley on July 24th--Utah's Pioneer Day. After the parade, the community is served up a hot breakfast and hears a patriotic message. This year the breakfast included: hash browns, pancakes with homemade caramel, apple cinnamon and sour cream, and maple syrup, cut up fruit, orange juice, and milk.
Hannah has on her (haven't eaten and I'm grumpy face). She stayed up with Mom altering this "pioneer dress" of her grandmothers (from the 1970's. Rebekah calls it "antique" He he.) to fit her. She refused to wear a pioneer bonnet and demanded Swan Lake hair. She looks rather medieval, doesn't she (Minus the flip flops)?
This evening, most of our siblings and their children came to a dinner and game night. Instead of games or a movie, when Mom and Dad Clayton left, we sat in the living room and talked. Beth (Campbell) Clayton finally realized that it was true--Clayton's have serious insomnia and sleep issues! Melissa Walsh Clayton noted that a routine, scheduled bedtime, getting up early, have all helped Matt. David is getting up at 5:30 to walk and hike near his home and read scriptures. All excellent ideas!
Ashtons: Ren, Joe, Rosie and children.
It was hot!
Hannah and cousin Jane smiling after eating cotton candy.
Aunt Beth and Lolly (Lauren).
Mom and Susie.
Lauren and Susie.
Bekah and Mom.
Cute Couple!
Whose that cute guy!?
"Deep Discussions" over excellent food at Anne's.
Children play games on Anne's B-ball Court (Jackson, Hannah, Mick, Ian, and Rowan)
Lolly and Susie caught "hanging out" on the steps.
Funny Man Dave threatening.
Thanks Aunt Anne for the glo sticks! They were a hit.
Aunt Lisa with a Cherry Chocolate Pie.
Independence Day this year was exciting because we had Joe's sister Cathleen and her family in town. Joe got up early and made Scrambled egg sandwiches for breakfast and bagged up 24 for the group. We sat together and watched the Freedom Festival Parade. Afterwards, we went to Grandpa Clayton's pool and had the traditional pool party with extended family.
We drove home for quick naps and then to Aunt Anne's house for a Campbell/Eggertson/Ashton Family BBQ. Dave Campbell had his girlfriend Kelleyn come for desserts. At dusk, we drove over to my sister, Lisa Ashton's house for pies and fireworks. In our neighborhood, lighting off sparklers and fireworks is prohibited. Joe and Jonathan helped Uncle Matt provide the pyrotechnics to wow the crowd before the Stadium of Fire fireworks. At one point, I lost Susie in the darkness. I found her inside the house having a great time with cousins Lauren, Cami, and Andrew playing dress ups (so much funner than waiting for fireworks in the dark, buggy outside I guess!).
We headed out on Monday morning. Jonathan's favorite part is seeing the windmills at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon coming and going. "When are we going to be there?" was an oft utter inguery. We arrived in the late afternoon. Pleanty of time to set up camp, go for a swim, and cathc Rebekah a beautiful Collared Lizard. Susie, who likes water, was a bit frightened of swimming in the swollen lake and so Joe set up an inflatable pool at the water's edge for her to play in. Our first night, she asked Joe, "I dig in the dirt?" She had a blast flinging sand around. Jonathan and Rebekah joined her later on in the sand castle making. Hannah collected white clam shells.
We like to camp at Stanton Creek Primitive Camp Ground by Bullfrog Marina at Lake Powell, Utah. The weather was in the upper 90's, no AC. Pop-up Tent Trailer and inflatable raft with oars. Red sand beaches and blue sky. Ravens screeching (not penguins Susie!). Lizard Island. Joe catches a Whiptail, a Collared Spiny Lizard, and some sand lizards (Side Blotched, regular variety...) . Joe and Julie read aloud from Susan Creech's novel, Castle Carona. Sun, sunscreen, and Sugar-free Kool-aid. On the menu were camp favorites: sandwiches, cold cereal, hot cocoa, s'mores, and roasted hot dogs. We listened to the Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis on the way into and on the way home from our trip. The children loved Kenneth Braniagh's animal voices.
