The Claytons: Flying Alone

The day school was out, Seth and all the kids took me to the airport. I flew out to Utah for 6 days all by myself! The boys were having a really hard time understanding that I was going to be away from them that long. I explained it to them like this, "you know how you need your mommy? Well, sometimes I need my mommy too!" Sawyer said, "You have a mommy?" Silly boy knows his grandma but had a hard time connecting that she is my mom.

Six days might have been a little too long. I was really missing all of them. My family and I stayed really busy though. I stayed with mom and dad. Mom has the most comfortable guest room and I was able to sleep in as late as I wanted!

Here are some of the highlights from the trip:

Dad and I watched almost the whole first season of, When Calls The Heart. I just discovered this show this year in it's second season. The very first night, dad asked if I had heard about the show. I was so excited when he told me that we could watch the first season on Netflix. So every night, when we were done with our day, we would meet in the basement and stay up late watching one episode right after another one.

I got to go through the Payson Temple open house. That is the most beautiful temple!

I saw Avengers with mom, dad and Angela.
Girls nigh out: dinner/Pitch Perfect 2 (I don't know if I have ever laughed that hard in a movie!)

All of my siblings and their families got together out at mom and dad's that Sunday. It was so great seeing all my nieces and nephews.

It made my heart happy to see dad dancing with the girls!

The day before I left, mom, dad, Angela, Audra and myself went to Park City! I had never been before and I really wanted to go, so they made it happen! We had so much fun! We spent the day walking around and then went to the Alpine Slide! The coaster was a blast! You take a slow ride up the mountain and then when you get to the top, you hold your levers down. I was flying down the mountain. It was like a roller coaster! It was so much fun!

Then everyone, except for mom, rode the slide. It was so great seeing dad do all of these things. I don't think he has been this adventurous since his stroke. As a matter of fact, the man can't help himself! He is so competitive! Audra and Dad were side by side on the slides and dad was determined to beat her. Angela and I had gone first and we were at the bottom waiting on dad and Audra. Audra came down but dad was no where in sight. Finally he got to the bottom and this is the shape he was in:

His hand was bleeding! He had blood coming out of his ear! Us three girls, went running to him and he was giggling and said, "I flipped over the edge of the slide and landed on the mountain!" He told us he didn't think he was ever going to get back on his sled! He is a mess! The first aid girl came over and got him and took him to a room to get him cleaned up.

That night, Audra, Angela and I went shopping! The craziest thing happened! I had just told my family earlier how the Bradfords, a family who use to live in Birmingham, lived in Park City. I had said that I wish I was going to be there longer because I would love to see them.
Well, as we were trying to find the outlet malls, Audra made a wrong turn and turned in to the Walmart Parking lot to turn around. I looked up and guess who I saw, Russ and Katie Bradford! Of course, I jumped out of the car to go talk to them. They looked as surprised as I did! Small world!

It was such a great trip and I am always in awe at how beautiful the state of Utah is!

I got in really late and the boys were asleep. Laurel took these pictures the next morning: