Elder Clayton Returns!

Elder Clayton returned home on May 27, 2015 arriving at the Salt City International Airport at 4:00 p.m.  I could hardly wait to go get him and bring him home to our welcome banner and balloons to greet him.  We were the first ones there and got the best place in the waiting area.  Seems like he took forever to finally come down the escalator, but when he did...it was just as wonderful as it should have been.  That hug I have waited to give him for two years is the absolute best.  There where several other missionaries on the plane with him, so it was very full and fun with exciting families and friends to greet their sons and daughters.  He served so well, but oh it's great to have him home.

What we've been Up to Lately.

We have had a great few weeks and doing some fun things.  Here's proof...

This year for Spring break we took a quick trip down to St. George.  Just having a great time with the three of us.  Hiking, Slurpees, Black Bear Diner, St. George Temple, and blowing bubbles while singing Bye, Bye, American Pie.  Life is pretty great.  So glad Caleb will still go with us.  It's lonely with the others not able to go.  Soon, very, very soon!

 Still trying so hard to reach my goal.  Not sure it will ever come to be.  I did 1000 jumps on this bad boy.  I have a love/hate relationship with this darn thing.  But, I did it...with 10+ trips to the bathroom for extra steps.

 We love Maeve.  Can't believe this little princess is one today.  My boys love her, too.  We have a lot of fun with the Fitts family that we have adopted as our own.

 The Payson Temple Open House last weekend was what everyone had in mind to attend.  It took us almost three hours to get there, but totally worth it.  We are so blessed to have so many temples in our area.  I love what they are and the blessing that await all who go there.  Families are Forever.  We love having Tori join us and all enjoyed a burger at Smashburger afterwards.  What a great time.

 Our good friend, Rick opened up this Paws Pet Wash yesterday.  He needed some test run clients and so we took Zoie down.  Funny thing I had just mentioned that morning I was going to bath her.  This is brilliant!  Shampoo, condition, rinse, vacuum and dry; with treats after if you want.  And bonus...no scouring the bathtub after, just walk away.  We will be wash, lather and repeat customers.

Lastly, we have a new lunch bunch that will trying out new places that are like Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  This was a place in Ogden called Scruds and yummy hamburgers.  I didn't go to far out of the normal box however, yet it did not disappoint.  The conversation was worth the $$$.  Not bad, but kind of a high price tag for a burger.

Happy 50th & Extra Things

 This is some of the gang that I hang with in the morning at Four Pillar.  Funny how these people become your friends, and greatest cheerleaders!  Gave them bday cookies for sure!

50 is Nifty!

This year it's the big one.  I 50.  I wanted to do something different.  So, I bought 50 sugar cookies from Cutler's Cookies to give away to 50 people at random.  Here's the note I gave with each one of them.  I had to do this on Friday as my actual birthday I would be working.  This was so much fun.  I stopped an UPS driver, a crossing guard, the clerk at 7-11 and many friends that I came in contact with that day.  It was so much fun and the best was watching the reactions when they had no idea what it was all about.  Some ate it, and many gave or shared theirs.  I will include the pictures I took.

You probably are aware that today is Friday the 13^th.  However, today it’s actually lucky.  I’m turning 50 next week and I wanted to do something a little bit different.  Rather than receiving gifts this year.  I wanted to do something that makes me happy.

So, I’m giving you this cookie.   You can choose to enjoy it, or you can give it away to someone you feel just might enjoy or need it more.

My only request is that if you decide to treat yourself, or if you give it away; you take a selfie and send it to me. 

Text:  801.979.5568 or email:  claytonmom@comcast.net

An Update on our Missionary

You will see that wherever he goes, he makes the most of it and is doing just great.  He has a new companion and found some new people to teach.  I love that he asks us to pray for his investigators, make me feel as if I'm right alongside him.  I love hearing from him.  He's doing so awesome!

New companion, same area! Hola! Well last week was a little different with all the companions that I had, but everything worked out and now I have a new companion named Elder May de Yucatan, Merida! He is a good Elder, and he is energetic and lots of fun, a lot of Elders left the zone, and many new faces arrived. We are excited to start a new change and get things rolling. This past Sunday, we had 5 investigators in church and  we will be having a baptism of three this Sunday! We are super excited. Sonia, Samantha and Alejandro will be going to be baptized. Its cool because its three generations, Sonia is the grandma, Samantha is the daughter, and Alejandro is the grandson. The Hermana Sonia was a reference from a member that sent us to her. About 5 weeks ago, we kneeled down said a prayer and we invited this member to think of someone who we could share our message with, it was a Saturday before fast Sunday, so we invited her to do it as a part of her fast and it was a miracle what occurred. We went back 4 days later and sent us to Sonia, another daughter answered the door and told us to come back the next day, so we did, I went back with someone else from the ward and we sang a hymn and asked Sonia some questions to get to know her and found out that her daughter, Samantha was in Rehab, she had been in for about 7 months, and she expressed her love for her daughter and cried. I talked about baptism, and she accepted the invitation. We promised that God was going to bless her and we set another date to come back, we went back, taught a lesson, and invited her to church, the first week she couldn't, but she said she would the next week. So she came to church, and when we went back after the week she had gone to church, she received news that her daughter was going to return home!!! It was sooo cool. She was crying and was so grateful. So Samantha has been home for about 3 weeks, and we met her when she had about 3 days in her house, we talked about the Restoration and she cried during the whole lesson. She said upon entering rehab, she was Atheist, and didn't want anything with religion, but with more and more time she prayed and wanted a sign from God. Over the period of 7 months, her testimony of prayer grew more and more, until her mom and told her that we had been coming by and she at first, didn't want to meet us, but she said that it was the will of God, and we met her and she knew we had been sent to meet her and to meet her mom. Ah man its soo awesome everything. The Lord prepares his people to receive us. Samantha has been  to church twice and her mom 4 times, and they will be baptized this Sunday with Alejandro! We are so excited for them, they are excellent people and I love them,. They recognize us as Representatives of Jesus Christ, and every lesson with them we feel the spirit. I am grateful for them! Oh and Joel is doing wonderful, he came again, and is excited to receive the priesthood. We started to teach his nephew, and he came to church yesterday! yay!! I am in a great area, and I am an awesome comp. I hope everything is going well with you all! love all of you!!

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Elder Clayton

 Elder Gomez after some surgery.

Newest Comp...Elder May de Yucatan

2015 is Going to be Quite a Year

We had a wonderful start to the New Year.  We were able to go with friends to Joy Luck again.  Only this year it was come in, hurry and eat and then leave.  Usually we chat and stay for a long time, but this year seemed like they rushed us.  Many went to the movies or to play games.  Wayne and I went home to decide what to do and ended up, just staying there.  Life is certainly different with all the boys going their own directions.  Caleb was with friends, and Bridger was with Tori.  Who is Tori, you may ask.  Well, she will be our new daughter in law!!!  Isn't it great.  Bridger is getting married, AGH!!!! (Remember Father of the Bride when the little girl says that) We couldn't be more happy and thrilled for them both.  She is a doll.  Last summer Bridger went on an adventure in Minnesota to sell pest control.  To be honest it wasn't where I had hoped he would spend his summer.  Having only one child at home seemed so quiet.  However, now that he has found Tori, I am so grateful I didn't stand in his way, (not that he would have listened anyway).  First I was nervous about her being from Minnesota, however, turns out she is from here.  Raised in Vernal, UT and now her family lives in Willard, UT.  It's perfect. In March she will be coming back home to work and where they will stay.  We are all so excited and he is so happy.  It is what I have always prayed and hoped for and she is perfect for him.   But her you can see for yourself.  She is going and already fits right in.  Caleb loves her and of course we loved her from the first time we met.  June 27, 2015 can't come soon enough for all of us!  (but, we have to get Stetson home, first)

Here's some other pictures just for fun of what's happening at our house.  If anyone is still even reading this blog.  (it's a great journal, however)

 Brianne and I sending Max a b-day greeting from work.

 Bridger turns 23!  This will be his last b-day at home.  And it's just as it should be.

 We got a new dining table, Caleb was an added extra!

 Lots of our patients had parts in the production held at Legacy Prep Academy of the Wizard of Oz.
It was amazing and they all did such a great job with their awesome smiles shining on stage!

Yesterday the weather hit 70 degrees.  February 7th?  Sunroof open and loving it. 

 Ok, I did have the heater going, too!

December Happenings

Lots of fun and exciting things happen in December.  The week before Christmas is always fun as it is our anniversary.  This year marks our 25th.  Crazy to think that it has really been 1/4 of a century.  It's my cross over year, I have now been married longer than I was single.  We went to Quilted Bear to shop, (not Wayne's choice) and then dinner at Good Wood BBQ.  We were lucky enough to talk Caleb into joining us.  One day we will wish that we had someone to join us and so it was fun having him along.  Here's some pictures to show what was happening.  The best and most exciting was talking to Stetson on Christmas Day.  He was given about an hour to talk to us and it ended all to quickly.  I really miss his laugh and fun sense of humor.  However, he is loving it and it is going too quickly for him.  Enjoy...