The first snow storm of the season!

Around 4 p.m., it started to snow lightly in Provo on the BYU campus after raining all afternoon. We couldn't see the mountains from the Sky Room. You can see the Clark Law School on the left and the student parking lot, but the "Y" on the mountain is shrouded in clouds and snow.

At around 5:30, Shauna drove to Draper to attend the local broadcast of LDS Women's Relief Society Conference Broadcast with daughters Gina and Marilyn.

The Relief Society is the women's organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois the organization with the motto "Charity Never Faileth," today includes more than 5.2 million women in over 170 countries. All Mormon women age 18 and older are members of the Relief Society.

The purpose of Relief Society is to assist priesthood leaders in carrying out the mission of the Church by helping sisters and families come unto Christ. The Relief Society helps sisters and their families keep the commandments to qualify for exaltation and eternal life.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695214559,00.html says: To "an alarming extent" today's children are being educated by the media, President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints warned women during the annual General Relief Society meeting Saturday.

Media messages are potentially destructive to women, said Relief Society General President Julie B. Beck. "While these media messages may contain elements of truth, most preach a gospel of individual fulfillment and self-worship, often misleading women regarding their true identity and worth," she said. "These voices offer a counterfeit happiness and as a result, many women are miserable, lonely and confused."

"The true measure of our life is not how much we get but how much we give," noted Sister Silvia H. Allred, first counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. "Our service should be selfless, quiet and be done willingly." Both President Monson and Sister Allred stressed the importance of the church's visiting teaching program.

After the conference, which focused on the dangers of modern media to the family, the gals (who are devoted to their children and are wonderful mothers, according to Grandpa Valentine) dined at the Citrus Grill on 123rd South.

The Burgon Cousins Annual Party

The Burgon uncles and aunts and many of the numerous cousins met this afternoon at the BYU Skyroom (where Shauna and Robert had their wedding reception forty years ago). Among the Burgon clan, Shauna's father Marv has passed away as well as his older sister (who would have been 100 today). The surviving aunts and uncles are quite fit and all in their eighties. Stan, Bea, Grant, Beth and LaRae reminisced about their parents, Shauna's grandparents. We sang happy birthday to uncle Clive, who turns 89. We drank BYU punch (7-Up and cherry juice) and had a wonderful meal! There has been very little cancer in the Burgon family and no breast cancer. A new study last week in the New England Journal of Medicine links alcohol consumption with cancer. The LDS word of wisdom works!

Shauna joins her sisters in the Canyon View Ward women's organization!

Every year the Relief Society (women's organization of the LDS church) has a craft Saturday. After our monthly weigh-in early Saturday morning, Shauna made crafts and a nifty bracelet for our new grand daughter, among other fun things!

Maroon5 begins their US and European tour!

We love you. We appreciate your hard work!

Check out their schedule on Maroon5.com. Good luck, James! Be safe!

Do we live in paradise? Yes!

The view of Lone Peak mountain from Ridgeline Elementary is spectacular. Gina, Jonathan and the girls live on top of the hill to the left - Suncrest!

Daughter Gina made pillows for the media center!

Ridgeline media center is amazing! Students read in the window wells on the pillows Gina made! What a wonderful public school. What will happen to the quality of public schools if "vouchers" for private schools are approved in November? The public school districts will raise property taxes to make up the difference. The Valentines left North Carolina in 1996 in part because people sent their kids to so-called "Christian academies," while allowing public schools to deteriorate. On another note, the "United We Stand" display honors students' relatives who serve in the war against terrorism in Iraq.

By the way, Gina's blog is "The Sewing Friend." Check it out at http://www.thesewingfriend.blogspot.com/

Grandparents Day at Ridgeline Elementary

Ridgeline was completed two years ago to serve the new homes in Highland and Draper.




Grand daughter Sloane James invited us to participate. The first grade sang as song invited us to visit the classrooms. Mrs. Adams, a first year teacher, has twenty-six students. Sloane takes the school bus down the hill from Suncrest. Grandmothers Denise James and Shauna Valentine had a great time, while Grampa Valentine took pictures and resisted eating the cookies.

Is this guy Topher Clark busy or what?

The Young Company Shakespeare Troupe seeks to introduce young children to Shakespeare and the arts at an early age in exciting and interesting ways. This will be its 10th play in eight years and only the second tragedy the company has performed, having delivered a well-received rendition of “Hamlet” in 2005.

In addition to the two-week performance run in the Nelke Theatre, the troupe will perform its non-traditional, one-hour version of “King Lear” throughout the year at various local elementary schools.

The play is directed by Christopher Clark, with Brian Ramos as stage manager and Amelia Schow as costume designer. Sarina Thomas serves as the dramaturg and Richard Newman as the puppet designer.


All the world is a stage, especially if you are Christopher Layton Clark, the best darn director in Edgemont and maybe Payson, too. "King Lear" for kids opens at BYU!

Inside Christopher Clark's Office at UVSC

The holy of holies! How many assistant professors get a large office with a window! Someday, a reproduction of this office will be located in the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, according to the Valentines.

Shauna's new cut!

Her hairdresser is famous and expensive but worth it. What a doll!

"The Heiress" opens at Utah Valley State College

Chris gives birth to new productions, and Lisa gives birth to kids. Number 5 is getting closer.




Directed by Lisa's husband Christopher Clark, "The Heiress," based on Henry James' novel "Washington Square," will run from September 27 through October 6, 2007. Jake Suazo, one of our favorite improv comics, stars at Dr. Austin Sloper.

The Valentine driveway is perfect for artistic expressions!

Phoebe has inherited Grandma's artistic skills!


Grampa, you are so funny!


Grandma, please draw a line around me!

Lisa Valentine Clark - Mother & Comedienne

Lisa (left) performs with the "Thrillionaires Improv Theater" group of local actors at the Velour (135 North University Avenue, Provo, Utah) most Monday nights at 8 p.m. ($5 per person) until she delivers her fifth baby later this year. Members of the audience yell out the themes and determine the plot at various points during the improvisation. Husband Christopher Clark could not perform this week because he is directing two plays that open this week: "The Heiress" at UVSC and "King Lear" at BYU.



Lisa, please do an imitation of Brittany Spears mediocre performance on the MTV Awards show!

Happy Birthday Christopher Burgon Valentine

We had a little party for Chris Sunday night. Wife Marilyn was on duty at a local care center, but we all had a good time talking and visiting and eating chili, angel food cake and ice cream. Happy Birthday to our oldest child, wonderful father and husband and the very best doctor in Utah.

Family Home Evening, September 24, 2007

Happy Monday, Happy Family Home Evening:

President Hinckley came to BYU and spoke at the weekly Devotional last week.

He encouraged students to strive for the qualities outlined in the 13th Article of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. [ www.lds.org ]

"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul: We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

Honest. Honesty means that there are no short-cuts or little white lies or big lies, only simple, honest truth spoken in total candor. And, there is nothing more honest than good hard work, too.

True. Being true is different than being honest. President Hinckley said it means that we stand tall, look the world straight in the eye and march forward. It means stability in a world of shifting values.

Chaste. Explaining what it means to be chaste, President Hinckley urged students to not sell themselves short by compromising their commitment to morality. He talked about how long it takes to put up a building and how quickly it can be imploded.

Lives can also be imploded in minutes, but they can be rebuilt through repentance. Those who have transgressed can turn to our Savior Jesus Christ; and, through the power of His atonement, be made clean and new again. Understand, too,. that you are being "chased" by Satan, and you had better run as fast as you can.

Benevolent. This means being kind, thoughtful and reaching out to those in need at all times. This may be to individuals or in humanitarian efforts across the globe.

Virtuous. He quoted Blaise Pascal: "The strength of a man's virtue should not be measured by his special exertions, but by his habitual acts." Virtue comes in doing well and consistently the every day, often rather tedious tasks of life. Prayer, scripture study, tending to financial obligations and other important commandments, if performed on a habitual basis, will yield great virtue.

Dong Good to All Men. To illustrate this point, President Hinckley gave the example of Dr. Norman Borlaug, winner of the Nobel Prize in 1970, has perhaps saved more lives than anyone in history! In the wake of a dreaded disease infesting croplands in Mexico in 1944 he went to work and developed a strain of wheat resistant to the fungus. Many said nothing could be done. The harvest became so great that the farmers began to market their wheat internationally. He then turned to Pakistan, India, China, the Philippines, and Indonesia, doing for those croplands what he did in Mexico. The whole word is in his debt.

Doing good to all men is not easy; it requires mercy, self discipline and determination. God is no respecter of persons. In His eyes, all mankind deserves our care and attention, love and consideration.

President Hinckley concluded by saying that those who seek the virtues outlined in the 13th Article of Faith will have a life that is challenging but more interesting, and the blessings of the Lord will come upon us for doing what He would have us do.

Have a wonderful week! We love you! Mom and Dad, Shauna and Robert Valentine

9th South and 9th East Neighborhood Fair

Also on Saturday, September 15, Robert and Shauna walked around the "9th & 9th" annual fair. Shauna found a matching pinky ring to go with her new bracelet and neclace, later we took Cristy and Mom Amy Valentine to the great restaurant at Little America, where we also shopped in the fabulous gift stores, too. Never to tired for more. Shauna and Robert went to the movie and ate popcorn!

Pioneer Park Craft Fair and Farmer's Market

After chores around home, Shauna and Robert drove 30 minutes to downtown Salt Lake City to walk around the Pioneer Park farmer's market and craft fair, which is held every Saturday.


First, we found a bracelet from China, later a matching onyx necklace.


In 1853, Robert's great grandfather camped here after a ten month journey from Denmark, thus "Pioneer Park." His sacrifices, our blessings today.


"Two Dog Studio," makers of kitchen pottery from Draper, sold us a nifty ceramic collandar and a blue mixing bowl, later full of peaches and tomatoes on our counter in Highland.

Inspirational Message from Grampa Valentine

Grampa's favorite animal?

In life, you must have a thick skin and keep moving forward.

Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City

What do we do on a Saturday morning?


Kids and grandkids!