Friday, July 31, 2009

Oquirrh Mountain LDS Temple Openhouse

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.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

A New Pet

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.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Little Pioneer Children

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!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Summertime Happenings

So much has been happening around here that I am woefully behind blogging. I will (hopefully) post about July 4, Jonathan's 6 birthday, and Rebekah's 9 birthday (we celebrated today at Hogle Zoo). Joe and I saw the movie, One Night With the King (2006), a big budget adaptation about the story of Esther. I loved this film! (We checked it out at our local library...I would recommend it. It is rated PG and makes a good date movie). I have also viewed several Mormon DVD films lately and would like to comment on them in the Memorable Movies Section: Beauty and the Beast: A Latter-day Tale, The Errand of Angels, Rescued. Currently, Joe and I are reading aloud the fifth book on Greek Mythology for Young Adults by Rick Riordan, The Last Olympian. (I highly recommend the entire series...It begins with a book called The Lightening Thief about a ADHD, dyslexic boy of a single mom who learns he is a "demigod," son of Poseidon, and sent to train at Camp Halfblood to save the world from the mythological monsters). I am listening on audio book, Robert Jordan's Fifth book, The Fires of Heaven from the Wheel of Time Series. (He is a genius author--His books rival Harry Potter book 7 in size, per volume, and there are eleven of them and a prologue book and so they can be a time investment. Good audio readers). Hannah and I were talking the other day. I realized that I listen to more audio books these days and less music or silence while working because I am too tired. Some narrators and much of the music I own is too sedate to keep my interest of late. How is it that with all our time saving devices, I am continually at odds with time? There is never enough of it these days! I run in slow motion, at the same time, my children are caught in a time warp and growing up too fast! Soon to come up dates on the Shakespearean Festival and Cedar City (Mini-vacation and culture, hopefully). God bless you and I hope you are all having a wonderful summer! School starts August 18 for us around here. (That's two days earlier than last years early date!). Too soon and yet...maybe then I can get what I was going to do this summer done. And potty training.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Fun Adaptation of West Side Story

A friend sent this to me and it's been fun to watch. Enjoy! Web Site Story

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Independence Day

Freedom Festival Parade
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!).

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

The Bell at Sealey Head

"The odd thing about people who had many books was how they always wanted more. Judd knew that about himself: just the sight of Ridley Dow's books unpacked and stacked in corners, on the desk and dresser, made him discontent and greedy. Here he was; there they were. Why were he and they not together somewhere private, they falling gently open under his fingers, he exploring their mysteries, they luring him, enthralling him, captivating him with every turn of phrase, every revealing page?" Pg. 38, The Bell at Sealey Head by Patricia A. McKillip

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Family Vacation to Lake Powell

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.