The Clayton Family

Princesses

2012-02-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

Katie is dressed in princess dresses it seems like 24/7. She is obsessed and she likes to have company when she dresses up. So Roxie dressed up as well, not really understanding the whole princess idea. I'm sure her "princess" phase isn't too far down the road.SistersJackson had a "Dress-up as your favorite character" day at preschool and he really likes the American Tail: Fievel Goes West and

Katie

2012-02-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

Katie is 3 years old. Do I need to say any more? Oh my goodness. She is mischief! She is wanting to be more independent and we struggle through what she can do and what she can't do yet because she is still a little girl. Well, she is wonderful. This picture is a reminder of my struggle with Katie. None of my kids seem to think its cold enough to wear pants and warm clothes. And although

Bronson's Birthday!

2012-02-10T14:50:00.000-08:00

Bronson has turned 7 years old! He is in 1st grade and he is loving it! This picture is him with some of his presents and you can see which one is his favorite. He has a thing for guns, just like his dad.Cheesecake was his cake of choice and Matt and I were very okay with that. We all love cheesecake.And just a few days before his birthday, he lost one of his front teeth. He's looking forward

Puerto Rican Cooking

2012-02-10T14:38:00.001-08:00

Matt and I decided to make some authentic food from Puerto Rico and so with Matt's memory guiding the flavors and the cooking, we made some rice and beans and Matt made the tostones. The kids and I loved the food and Matt was in heaven.Matt loves to cook when he gets the chance and he definitely loved cooking this meal. Oh, and I'm sure many of you may have already noticed the Malta in the brown

Puzzles

2012-01-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

Jackson is such a smarty pants. He turned 5 in November and so he will be one of the oldest kids in his Kindergarten class next year. He is in a very fun preschool class with Miss Ann and she has given him books to read and he is quickly on his way to reading. His latest thrill is to put puzzles together. When he starts a puzzle he is very focused and he doesn't quit until its complete. His

Messy Meals

2012-01-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

Roxie is such a messy eater. She eats a lot but she also smears food everywhere. She rubs food on her chair, table, on her clothes, face, arms and all over her hair. She doesn't seem angry or very amused by smearing food, its just something to do, I guess. Anyway, she basically requires a bath after every meal.

Brothers and Sisters

2012-01-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

Our kids are so silly. Matt and I love it when they all get together and come up with fun things to do with each other. I can tell they really love each other. One of the benefits of having an older sister is that you can have a make-over or spa day any time you want.Hallie is giving Bronson a shampoo in our bathroom and all the girls are involved. Bronson would die if he knew I was posting

The Christmas season

2011-12-27T13:57:00.001-08:00

We started off our Christmas season with a fun visit with Santa. The kids each took a turn on his lap talking about how they've been good kids this year. Roxie wasn't such a fan of Santa but I'm guessing that will change by next year.The elementary school had their Christmas sing assembly and they did a great job. Bronson's class also sang "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" in Chinese since they

Thanksgiving

2011-12-06T13:58:00.001-08:00

This year we traveled to Idaho for Thanksgiving and we spent the holiday with Matt's family. We absolutely loved spending time with Jani and Alex, Emily and Matt, Russ and Dulcie, Christy and Joe and Scott and of course all of their kids. What a great Thanksgiving. And the food was so very delicious. This is the kids table and they had a lot of fun!Christy and Joe were the master chefs

Jackson's big 5 birthday!

2011-11-20T16:55:00.001-08:00

Jackson turned 5 years old! Wow, he is getting so big! We had a fun friend "Pirate" party and fun together as a family.

Wrestling

2011-11-20T16:31:00.000-08:00

Our boys are learning how to wrestle. Bronson has been going to wrestling practice for about a year now and Jackson has gone for a couple of weeks.Its pretty fun to watch Bronson work hard at learning how to wrestle. He likes it a lot and he does a pretty great job! He is really learning how to be tough and to work hard.

Hallie's piano recital

2011-11-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

Hallie is taking piano lessons and loves playing the piano.

Home-grown carrots

2011-11-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

Halloween

2011-11-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

We moved pumpkin carving to the garage this year. Things get really messy and this made cleaning up a lot easier. I love the smell of pumpkins!Jack has never been a fan of getting his hands all squishy in pumpkins but he decided to get involved this year. That only lasted for a minute and then he didn't want to touch anymore. He is kind of a neat and clean kid.As you can imagine, Roxie was

Beautiful Laguna Beach, California

2011-10-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

Just a few weeks ago we hopped in the car and took a trip with our 5 kids to the beach in California. October is a great time to go and we found that we were one of the few on the beach. It was so beautiful and I think we all had a great time. The kids loved it and it was actually their first time to the ocean. We visited 3 beaches and the views were breathtaking. I loved every minute.The

Lots of fun with the sand...

2011-10-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

There was a little bird who just sat by Roxanna and they kind of hung-out. Probably because she had food.Lots of digging.Burying Dad in the sand!And then I buried them all in the sand and said, "See ya later, suckers!" Just kidding. These kids loved being buried in the sand.

Huntington Beach

2011-10-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

So beautiful! We were just about the only ones there.Head to toe sand everywhere!Roxie was loving the sand.The water was a little cold. The waves would wash up and chill the kids.

Pumpkin Names

2011-10-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

This summer our garden produced our own mini pumpkin patch and we grew about 20 pumpkins. The kids loved watching all of them grow, but they each had their eye on their own special pumpkin. While the pumpkins are small and green, Matt scratched each of their names onto a different pumpkin. As those pumpkins grew and turned orange, their names grew as well. Now they each have a big pumpkin

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Jack's preschool class took a field trip to a local Pumpkin Patch. Katie, Roxanna and I were able to come along and walk through the corn maze, play on the playgrounds, look at some fun animals and pick a pumpkin of their own. It was fun to have a fun group at the patch.

Roxanna is walking everywhere!

2011-10-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

Such a big girl!

BYU Triple Crown

2011-10-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hallie, Bronson and Jackson all participated in BYU's Triple Crown event. This is a one mile run for elementary school children and they each competed in their own age level. I must say, I thought one mile was a very long distance for the kids, especially Jack, but they did a fantastic job. I think they were a little surprised at how long a mile was too, but they kept up their pace and they

Birthdays, Birthdays!

2011-09-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Katie Marguerite had another birthday! Katie is a big 3 years old. She is getting so big and we love her so much. Her smile is infectious and we love having our sweetheart in our family.This year she wanted a giant Cookie-Cake. I made a big chocolate chip cookie and decorated it with Katie's favorite colors. Her favorite part was the big, purple K.She is getting used to using 3

Five Little Rascals

2011-09-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

Peaches

2011-09-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again. It is time for peaches! Peaches have become my new favorite fruit because they are so delicious. Our sweet little tree in our front yard is just a few years old and we tried to prune it right but it still was extremely fruitful. The tree was bending and we were worried it would break and so we harvested and I'm so glad we did. The peaches are so yummy and all

First Day of School

2011-08-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

First day of School! Hallie is in 3rd grade and Bronson is in 1st grade. They are so excited! Jackson is going to Preschool this year with Miss Ann and he loves it! Such a big boy! Jackson goes to Preschool two days a week and so most of the time I have Jackson and Katie and Roxanna here at home with me and it is quite the party with those three. I love the start of a new school year and all

Some fun summer memories....

2011-08-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

We always love working in our garden every summer. Each year we try something new and this year we tried onions, potatoes and yellow tomatoes. They did so well. In fact, I think we'll end up doing them every year. The onions are my favorite because we use onions all the time and these turned out awesome. We are also able to store them in our cool storage room until we use them all. I think

Camping in Santaquin

2011-08-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

Here's our crew chopping on some delicious Goulash. Matt was the camp chef this trip and the kids loved it. The cans of soda made everything taste even better. The night was getting cold quickly and so the camp fire felt really good.We had a pretty good set-up in a nice meadow up in the mountains. Our tent is just to the right and it was a nice and cozy sleep. Everyone loved the spooky

Hiking the Y

2011-07-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

We did it! With 5 little kids and two in backpacks...we did it! It was a hot, hot day and the trail was very steep sometimes but we made it together. The picture is a little fuzzy but you can see little Roxie trying to look over the top of her backpack. They were all so good and despite some complaining on the trail, they all want to go back again. I love my family. What a fun memory!

Emily's Wedding

2011-07-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Matt's sister, Emily, was married in the Mount Timpanogos Temple and we were so excited to be there and to witness their sealing. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful ceremony. We loved being with family and friends.Emily and her new husband, Matt

Hallie's Baptism

2011-07-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

This is our sweet Hallie Rebekah on her baptism day. She is really growing up and we are so proud of her for choosing to be baptized. It was such a memorable day and it was so amazing to have so much family around for love and support.

Bronson loves Baseball

2011-07-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

Bronson started a city baseball team and he loves it. These are a few shots of him with his bat and glove playing with his team. It's so fun watching these little boys play baseball.

Our garden

2011-07-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

We are having a lot of fun with our garden this summer. My favorite part is watching the kids walk through. They like to pick and eat peas, carrots, tomatoes and broccoli and that is awesome! I hope they learn to love vegetables from eating in our little garden.

Swimming and Sun

2011-06-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

I know its crazy going to the pool with 5 kids, but when its as fun as it is...its hard to stay away.

Lots and lots of time together....

2011-06-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of time together this summer. With school being out, the kids are learning how to get along with one another again. I think things started out a little rocky but now they are becoming good friends again. It is so funny to watch them give each other piggy-back rides.Hallie and Bronson had a dance festival at their school and they each performed two dances with their classes. I

Backyard buddies

2011-05-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

The kids love playing in the backyard and its fun to see them play together. Each picture shows their individual personalities and its fun to see them grow and get bigger.One thing is for sure...there is never a dull moment with this group of kiddos.

Fun Pictures

2011-05-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

Hallie and Katie both wore dresses with polka dots to church. These girls are such cute sisters and they are so sweet to each other. They have a special sister relationship.Roxanna is part of the family now and so she gets to have a beater too!(whipped cream)Our big boy, Bronson has lost his first tooth! He was so proud to lose his tooth and have the Tooth Fairy come. Bronson and Roxie both

Cute Spring Pictures

2011-05-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

Jackson, Katie and Roxanna are my little buddies while the two oldest are at school. We have a lot of time together and I love these little kiddos. Jackson and Katie are good little buddies and they love being outside.Katie loves the flowers.

Hallie's 8th Birthday

2011-05-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

Our Hallie Rebekah has turned 8 years old.We had a fun birthday party in our backyard with 10 girls and we had a fun "Flower Power" party with lots of games, food and laughs.The invitations.Some of the flower decorations. Each of the girls made their ownflower balloons to take home with them.Each girl made their own pizzas.Hallie chose to have "flower" fruit pizzas instead of a cake for her

Easter

2011-05-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter weekend in Arizona with the Palmer side of our family. There were so many cousins, brothers, sisters and parents that we had lots and lots to do. It was so much fun to get together with everyone and the kids were so exhausted when we got home.Katie with her cousin NixonRoxie didn't take part in the egg hunt so she andI just chilled in the grass.Bronson and Jackson wearing their

Roxanna is 7 months old already!

2011-04-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you can believe it, but I know I can't. She is growing up so fast right before our eyes. She is so sweet and happy. She can sit up all by herself, roll-over, loves to eat food and has two teeth already. She has tremendous thighs and with cooler clothes on in the spring, she gets several "thigh squeezes" from anyone who sees her. Her chubby thighs are as fun to squeeze as her

Fun Family Memories

2011-03-22T10:24:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, BYU's Basketball Team this year is doing really, really well. Jimmer Fredette and several others on the team are dynamite! We went together with the whole family to their last home game of the season and watched the magic with our own eyes. It was a fantastic game and we all had a lot of fun. Now we can all say that we watched Jimmer play. He is unbelievable. The

Wrestling

2011-03-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

This is Bronson's first year of wrestling and he is loving it. He is 6 years old and we are trying different sports and activities to see what he is interested in and he is super into wrestling. He gets a lot of practice here at home with his brothers and sisters, which is where we got the idea to try him in wrestling. He is a tough kid and enjoys learning the moves and working hard to pin the

A few cute moments with the kiddos

2011-02-28T11:21:00.000-08:00

Little Roxie already has her first BYU shirt.The boys love to get out and shovel the snow with their Dad. We need to find some kid-sized snow shovels but for now they like to use outdoor brooms. This snow storm came on a Sunday morning and so they were out shoveling the snow with their Dad before he had to take off to some meetings. You should see how excited they are to get their jackets and

A rat's nest!

2011-02-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

So, this is our sweet Katie-Loo when she wakes up in the morning. Sometimes she's a little groggy but she is, for the most part, very pleasant. Like her cute little face in this picture...very pleasant. Well, take the next couple of pictures very slowly and you will experience the same feeling of surprise that we experience every morning when she walks out of her room and turns her head.Side

Bronson's Birthday!

2011-02-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

Bronson is our big 6 year old boy. He is doing great in Kindergarten and he is a great brother. Bronson is very smart and creative and he loves to play video games and do, basically, everything outdoors that his Dad does (fishing, hiking, hunting, etc...).For his birthday this year, we did a "Man vs. Wild" party. (If you don't know, Man vs. Wild is an awesome show about a man named

4 month old Roxanna

2011-01-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

Sweet RoxannaOur girlsI love Roxie all wrapped up in her towel after her bath. Adorable!I could just eat her up! Roxanna likes to bounce herself in her bouncy chair and its so fun to watch. I don't think I ever got her to really do it in this video clip but she gave me some good smiles and chatted a little bit. She is such a happy girl.

30 years old!

2011-01-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

I've finally done it! I've reached 30!I am so grateful for my life and the great 30 years that I've had. My parents and brothers and sisters are amazing and I had a wonderful childhood in Arizona. And my husband, Matt, and all of my kids have made the last ten years so sweet. Matt has really been so fantastic and he has endured so much of my immaturity and stubbornness. I love you, Matt and

Sledding

2011-01-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

The winter brings lots of snow and very cold temperatures, but we are so excited that now we can go outside and play in the snow and go sledding!The kids love sledding! They do all kinds of tricks on their sleds and they take different turns going with each other. I have to say that I am very impressed with Katie this year. She loves to go sledding and she doesn't ever want to stop. She doesn't

Lots of FUN this December!

2011-01-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

We went to Temple Square in Salt Lake City to see the Christmas lights, to get a tour of the Lion House and to see the Nativity set by the visitor center. We loved being with cousins as we walked around in the cold air.Katie is now potty-trained and that is FUN for me(although the process of getting here was not so much fun :-)).Gingerbread HousesOur humble gingerbread houses. They may look

What a funny kid!

2010-12-29T09:32:00.000-08:00

So, funny story!Jackson was asked to give the prayer in primary and so we chatted with him a few times during the week about what is appropriate and not appropriate for a "primary" prayer versus a personal prayer. He assured us he knew what to say and so we were all set. When primary started Matt and I went into the back of the primary room to sit and watch him say his prayer and then afterward

Kids at Christmas

2010-12-24T11:25:00.001-08:00

Roxanna's Blessing Day

2010-12-15T08:16:00.001-08:00

Roxanna at 2 months old.She is such an angel and we love her so much.

Clayton moments

2010-11-29T13:42:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving - Indian hatsCouldn't get Katie to crack even a small smile. Crazy girl!Dad and Bronson heading out to a very stormy and cold BYU game.The kids are in charge of getting our BYU flag out in front of our house on each game day. This day was very windy and so the kids decided to use 20 rocks instead of the usual 2 to make sure that the flag wouldn't fly away. I especially love their use

Sisters

2010-11-17T12:17:00.001-08:00

There is a lot of love between these three. Such sweeties!

Smiley Roxanna Banana

2010-11-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

These pictures are of Roxanna smiling while looking at Matt.But I get some cute little smiles from her too!

Jackson is 4 years old!

2010-11-16T10:46:00.001-08:00

Jackson is our big 4 year old boy! He seems so mature at times and yet 4 is such a small number. Jack really keeps Matt and I on our toes. He loves his routines and as long as we don't rock the boat too much he's a joy.He is absolutely obsessed with the color orange and so he chose orange ice cream, chocolate cake with orange sprinkles and dinner was orange Macaroni and cheese with orange

Hallie & Dad ready for the BYU football game

2010-11-16T10:02:00.001-08:00

Halloween

2010-11-02T09:58:00.001-07:00

Trick-or-Treating on Halloween Night(Matt is the Incredible Hulk, Jackson is Spiderman, Bronson is Ironman, Hallie is a Good Witch)Jackson is slinging webs.Trick-or-Treating at Novell.(Katie is a Princess)Pumpkin CarvingPumpkin Carving treatsThe line-up: cat, haunted mansion, skeleton

Roxanna at 5 weeks

2010-11-02T09:57:00.001-07:00

Jackson & Dad going to the BYU Football Game

2010-11-02T09:55:00.001-07:00

Garden Harvest

2010-10-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

This summer we had a big harvest from our yard and garden. We had lots of peaches that we made peach jam with, apples that we dehydrated with cinnamon and sugar (a great snack!) and lots of tomatoes for lots of salsa! We also had apricots, zucchini, blackberries, strawberries, potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, pumpkins and watermelon. The garden is great for the food that we harvest but it

Sweet Little Girl

2010-10-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

2010-10-19T18:41:00.001-07:00

The Many Faces and Hair-dos of Little Katie

2010-10-19T18:25:00.001-07:00

This is her crying face.Note the spider bite on her little forearm (above).

Faces in the Garden

2010-10-19T18:15:00.001-07:00

Welcome Home Little Sister

2010-09-24T07:49:00.001-07:00