Sappington Christmas 2013

We had a particularly enjoyable – but unusually busy – 2013 holiday season though when it started is a bit vague.  Perhaps it started when President and Sister Benn visited for a week in our home.  Our wonderful Georgetown District President and his came from Guyana – leaving from Las Vegas on October 25.  Then on Halloween the Lovell twins, also from Guyana, arrived in St. George to live with us until they leave on missions.  It was crazy busy for about a month through dentist and doctor appointments, meeting with the bishop and stake president, and travel back and forth to day jobs … but they finally got their mission papers submitted. 

Maybe it started when Kris came home for a visit, staying for about 10 days while she tried to get her bearings after a difficult breakup – then came back a few weeks later with Erin to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family including David, Jan’L, Kaler, Kole and Kyle; as were Kelly and Gary, Allysa, Josh and their boys – for a total of 17 ½ people for dinner. 

Could be it started when we got back from California – to visit my mother and go to Knott’s Berry Farm with Kelly and Gary.  I attended the Jubilee of Trees with my Rotary club then rushed to put up our tree and the lights when it was time for the ward and  Rotary Christmas parties.  Or perhaps it started when we had a blizzard in St. George on December 8 which dropped 8 inches of the white stuff – only the 19^th time in 115 years our community has had measurable snow.  No question it feels more like Christmas when there is snow!

On December 15, we were one of four homes participating in Christmas Around the Ward.  Almost 100 neighbors and friends stopped by to see our decorations and enjoy a dining room table filled with goodies before moving onto one of the other houses.  Maybe it was the most wondrous Christmas program at church done by our ward choir, with solos by some of our talented members – including a memorable performance by Emma Warner-Nelson. 

Or could it have been Larry coming to visit from December 23 to 27… or David and his family coming back on December 24 and returning home to Denver on January 2!  Then Charlene, Todd and Ayami dropped in on  December 26 for an overnite stay on their way to Salt Lake City.  Their visit attracted Stacy, Rick and their family for an evening of catching up.  On December 30 they returned when heading back to central California – and Fukuoka, Japan.  As David and Jan’L pulled out of the driveway, Stan and Diane Blackett arrived for two months out of the ice and snow of their hometown of Logan – mercifully not with us (they rent a condo in Green Valley).

Through it all, I:

·               cooked endlessly

·               sent Christmas cards

·               managed to do my visiting teaching

·               responded to frequent e-mails and Skype calls from Guyana

·               tried to work a little since I still collect a paycheck

·               and, stood by as the twins opened their mission calls – Simeon to the Georgia Atlanta Mission (leaving on March 12 [Taisley's birthday]) and Selwin to the Mississippi Jackson Mission (where Josh Postma served - leaving on April 9 [my dad's birthday]).

As crazy busy as the past two months have been, this has been an absolutely wonderful holiday season filled with good friends, good food, plenty of love and laughter, gifts from the heart, and a sweet spirit which has lasted for several weeks as we celebrated the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.  So whatever constituted Christmas this year, it was one of the sweetest and happiest holiday seasons I have ever had … and I pray for many more just like it!

PS:  When I was creating my collages (above) and saw all the happy faces smiling back at me, I was reminded of the line from “Blindside” when the drunk uncle called to ask about the “extra” family member on the Christmas card.

Sappington's Celebrate Thanksgiving

We had a delightful (but typically noisy) Thanksgiving at our house this year with four of our six kids  - and about half of our grandchildren and two of our greats - home for the holiday.  Kris came from Santa Rosa, CA with Erin for hugs and turkey dinner.  David and Jan’L, and their three boys, came home from Denver for Thanksgiving for the first time in many years.  Kelly and Gary, from Ogden, were here, too, stopping over on their way to California where they had generously offered to travel to help clean and sort at Grandma Doris' home in Corona.  Allysa and Josh came by with their two boys as did Taisley (although Stacy and Rick were not there because we celebrated on Wednesday, in anticipation of our travel to Southern California and Stacy had a medical procedure scheduled that day).  Selwin and Simeon Lovell, our twins from Guyana, brought the grand total of those around our dinner table to 17 ½ (the half was little Benny who enjoyed a few spoonfuls of potatoes and gravy).

Grandma cooked and cleaned up from 6 a.m. to well past 10 p.m. while Grandpa rounded up all the kids for a “mystery trip” to Snow Canyon and the scout cave on the Sugarloaf!  All in all, it was a very fun day!  The only thing which would have made the day better would have been to have Michael, Lilly, Kaytee, Josh, Adyn and Skylar here, too!!!  Maybe next year.

Back to Branson

Between Halloween and Thanksgiving - with Kris here visiting and only 3 days after the twins arrived - we abandoned our responsibilities and flew to Branson, Missouri for a week in our 3-bedroom timeshare with Larry and Karen Harris (from Layton and with whom we served in Guyana) and with Stanley and Diane Blackett (our long time friends and regular traveling companions from Logan).  Our third – and perhaps our last trip to Branson (after all, how many shows can you see in a lifetime) - we spent our time (and money) in a variety of ways. 

We explored the city we have watched grow up from the first time we were there in 2005.  The population is now 10,520 (up from 6000 in 2005) with about 125 theaters / shows which attract more than 15,000,000 visitors every year … and now also has 3 Walmarts (we visited them all at least twice).  We also had a delightful day in Eureka Springs, AK, a Park City-like community about an hour away from Branson with wonderful shops, restuarants and historic sites from the 1850’s mining boom.

The shows we saw were:

·               Jim Stafford (comedian, musician who has been in Branson for 24 years)

·               Shoji Tabuchi (Japanese violinist who has just celebrated his 25^th year in Branson) Excellent showman with wonderful staging, costumes, lighting and the most beautiful bathrooms in America (see pictures)

·               The Haygoods (a multi-talented family of 5 boys and 1 girl who performed everything from rock and roll, Ozark mountain music and Christmas.  I loved them!!!)

·               New Jersey Nights was a review of the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.  It started out like a road show and I kept thinking about how much we had spent for this one … but, wow!  It ended up being my favorite of all the shows we had seen to this point, then …

·               We saw the 12 Irish Tenors, which included four of the young men from last night’s New Jersey Nights.  Our 5^th show was outstanding with classical music, humor, dance and amazing harmonies!!!  My favorite show this week!  I didn’t want it to end.

·               Andy Williams Christmas Show came complete with Lennon Sisters Kathy, Janet and Mimi and Osmonds Jay, Merrill and Jimmy.  It was a typical Christmas show.  I’d give it a 3 out of 10!

·               On the last night, we attended Six, a group of six brothers who sing a capella … and are hilariously funny!  It was sooooo much fun and the only sold out show we attended during the entire week in Branson.

Despite the rain and the cold temperatures, this was a really great week!!!

Halloween at the Sappington House

The members of our ward – the young and the young-at-heart - enjoyed another fun Trunk or Treat in the church parking lot on Halloween, Thursday, October 31.  Hosted by the Primary, the activity has become an eagerly anticipated, well-attended favorite holiday event.  Members of all ages dress up to hand out Halloween goodies to little ghouls and boys who go from trunk to trunk for their treats.  We also enjoyed the Young Women’s Chili Cookoff for an excuse not to have to cook. 

This was the very first Halloween for our Guyanese twins.  It was also their first look at their new home ward.  The members were warm and welcoming, while the boys were polite and quiet.  Not sure if they were overwhelmed about Halloween or had “jet lag” 

When we got home, Alyssa brought Josh and her boys by to see us.  A short time later Kendi and Danielle came by to show us their costumes … then Rick dropped in with a gaggle of kids from their neighborhood to go trick or treating in ours, including Taisley.  Then Stacy stopped over after work to see what was going on and to meet her new “baby brothers!”  Fun evening … and a total immersion into our family for our boys!

Welcome to the Family!

Get ready for this one!!!  We are having twins … due on Wednesday, October 30.  These newest additions to our family are Selwin and Simeon Lovell from Georgetown, Guyana (pictured with Anne Bertschi whose son Levi is currently serving in the West Indies Mission).

Their mother died when they were just children and their father relocated to the United States about a year later, leaving them in the care of his mother.  They are absolutely identical and, other than an uncle, are the only members of the church in their family.

We are happy to have them in our home as they finish preparing for fulltime missionary service somewhere in the world.  Thankfully, the bishop and stake president are willing to help with some of their missionary needs.  Members of the ward and stake have generously offered to help them on their missions and others are prepared to put them to work until they enter the MTC. So now when I am asked how many children I have, I can say I have 4 girls and 4 boys!!!

They attended church on Sunday for the first time while we were in Branson, Missouri.  We received a phone call while we were on the highway and it seems both have been called to serve as advisors in the Young Men's program.  They are both looking for work, bicycles and a short term social life.

Life is so interesting and certainly full of surprises!  I can’t believe it could possibly be more unexpectedly surprising than this!

My Computer "Annus Horribilis"

It has actually been more like a horrible year and a half.  

I have a “love/hate” relationship with computers lately and have even been called the technology “angel of death” My problems initially started in Guyana when the district president’s adorable little 2-year-old picked off two computer keys.  I could still use it, but it was awkward and couldn’t be repaired so I decided it was time to replace my pretty little red Dell.  The salesman at the St. George Best Buy store convinced me a Toshiba was the “best thing going” but to my dismay, almost immediately I began having problems.  The Geek Squad tried to repair it, but by the time it was determined I had “a lemon” the warranty had run out.  Ed decided to do some research and found a great deal on a 17” Dell and ordered it, but come on … 17”?  It was just too big, so we sent it back and ordered a 15” instead.  The size was right but when it, too, began to misfire in a variety of ways, we sent it back … and I went back to the Toshiba.

While visiting David and his family in Denver, Dad and son got their heads together and negotiated a deal for David’s Apple computer so he could get a new one.  Once home, Ed – like a kid with a new toy - suggested I take his Samsung (purchased in Guyana) because it had “never given me a minutes problem.”  Shortly thereafter, the Samsung started displaying a blue screen and the Toshiba a black screen … and I was ready to jump off a tall building in my frustration!!!  

The solution?  I called David, and with his “family discount,” got a great deal on a 13” Retina Display Mac Book Pro, which he assures me, is going to provide at least five years of problem-free use.  I hope so, but with my recent computer history I’ll have to see it to believe it … so pray for me!!!

Benns' See the West

We said goodbye today to Kenrick and Rose Benn at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.  Our dear friends from Guyana have been in the United States since September 20 when they flew into the Seattle-Tacoma Airport and into the welcoming arms of BJ and Marty Summers who hosted them for ten days at their home in Leavenworth, Washington.  These wonderful missionaries who served in Lindon, Guyana for their entire 18-month mission then drove the Benns through parts of Idaho and Oregon to Salt Lake City in time for the WIM Reunion (see April 5 post) and the church's 182^nd Semi-Annual General Conference. 

The Benns had tickets to three sessions and while in downtown SLC, they visited the Church office building, where they met and had a brief conversation with President Dieter Uchtdorf, a member of the First Presidency (President Benn was ready to go home at that point … having his prayers to meet a General Authority while in SLC answered beyond his wildest expectation). 

Larry and Karen Harris, who were the WIM’s CES missionaries, took the Benns after conference, hosting them in their home in Layton for a week before passing them along to Lynn and Sharon Angus for a 3-day visit in Vernal.  From there, the Benns traveled back to the Wasatch Front for 4 days with Ralph and Paulette Childs who served their mission in the WIM office in Trinidad and a couple of days with the Hymas'.  The Childs’ then drove the Benns to southern Utah, by way of Cedar Breaks and other sights along Hwy. 89, delivering them to the LaVerkin home of Val and Marcia Cook.  They enjoyed the company of the former WIM humanitarian service missionaries for another few days before arriving at our house where we hosted them for 8 days showing them the sights of Washington County, including Zion, Snow Canyon, Tuacahn, took them on the St. George Art Museum Home Tour and introduced them to friends and family.  Jim and Mary Andrus, who live just a few blocks from us and who took our place in the WIM office in Trinidad, insisted we share the Benns with them for two days during the week. 

During their 5 weeks in the U. S., the Benns saw many memorable sights, attended several temples – including, while in St. George, doing baptisms, confirmations and initiatories for family members of Sharon Danraj in Georgetown.  On Saturday, October 26, 2013, we drove them to Las Vegas.  We only had a short time to explore “Sin City” but were able to squeeze in a quick visit to the Coca Cola store, the M&M store and drove the Strip.  Rose wept at the thought of having to say “goodbye” which was reminiscent of the days before we left Georgetown for our home and family in St. George.  What lovely people who we will love “forever and always” no matter how far apart we are in miles!

Breakfast with Kris

We didn't get a picture with Michael who had to leave early when Lilly developed a "sore tummy" but we were pleased to have breakfast with our youngest son, our 5-year-old granddaughter and Kris visiting on the Wasatch Front on the same weekend we were there for our mission reunion.  It has been a difficult year for our 3rd daughter so we were glad to see her even for just a little while. There were a few tears as well as some laughter ... just not enough time to get caught up.  We hope to see her again soon.

WIM Reunion a Fun Evening with Friends

There wasn’t much in the way of decor, but there was lots of hugs, handshakes and reminiscing when about 60 – young and not-so-young – returned missionaries gathered for a West Indies Mission reunion on Friday, October 4, 2013 in the BYU Wilkinson Center in Provo.  Special guests were President and Sister Benn from Georgetown, Guyana who had – earlier in the day – had their first experience with snow and cold but were warmed by the affection of those who served in their country.  We were also delighted to have in attendance, several who made history as the first North American young women to serve in the WIM.  It was a pot luck dinner which turned out to be a “loaves and fishes” miracle.  Only a few of the young missionaries brought food to share but all came with an appetite.  For awhile we were going to have a balanced meal of cookies and cake – but it turned out there was plenty of food and a good variety, as well.  It was such a fun evening – made even more so, because most stayed long after dinner to visit and relive their enthusiasm for missionary work.  Our reunion, which was supposed to be from 6 – 8 p.m. ended up being 6 until a little past 10 p.m.!!!  It was so much fun to see those with whom we served and who we have learned to love like family.

Grandma Doris Celebrates 90 Years

She couldn’t stand up, but she enjoyed the opportunity to dress up for her 90^th birthday party on September 20, 2013.  Doris Mae Bradford Henion, born September 20, 1923, was the guest-of-honor at a gathering of some of her square dance friends, Yolanda (a volunteer at Crown Pointe), Claudia (Yolanda’s young friend), Ed, Larry and I.  We had the traditional cake and ice cream, balloons and a slide show (Larry has spent a great deal of time digitizing our family photographs) of her from birth through her good years.  She looked at the pictures of her childhood and loudly declared “I never had black hair.  Someone must have colored those pictures wrong!”  We partied until about 9:30 p.m., then when everyone else had left, we went back to her apartment to help her get ready for bed.  She seems to have enjoyed and appreciated our efforts to celebrate her life … although she was very unhappy to have people know her age.  “Don’t tell everyone I’m 90 … they all think I’m only 60!!!”   

A Day on Catalina Island

Our trip to Catalina was also a fun day - and another day to celebrate our Golden Wedding Anniversary. Along with my brother Larry and about 200 others on board the Catalina Expess, we traveled “26-miles across the sea, Santa Catalina was awaiting for we ….” as the old song says.  Our day included a 2-hour inland tour and a walk through the beautiful little community of Avalon, which was welcoming “stars” and would-be stars to the island for the 4^th Annual Catalina Film Festival.  We also enjoyed the small shops and restaurants, the harbor filled with sailboats, and the beautiful blue sky and sunshine and the clear ocean water.  It was a perfect day!

For those who enjoy a little trivia, here are some facts about Catalina we didn’t know:

·         The Wrigley family (famous for their chewing gum, including Black Jack) purchased the entire island in 1919 for the sum of $2 million.

Twelve buffalo were brought to the island for a western movie (“The Vanishing Prairie”) but when the film wrapped, the producer made the naïve decision to leave the animals on the island because “what harm can 12 buffalo do?”  Years later at their highest peak, there were approximately 500 buffalo living on Catalina Island.

·         Goats were also imported for the purpose of keeping the foliage under control.  Years later at their peak, there were 40,000 goats on the island … requiring helicopters and US Army sharp shooters to solve the problem.

·        Mrs. Wrigley hated the Catalina resident and author Zane Grey because he would take Mr. Wrigley out on his boat on the premise of fishing, but they would both come home seriously drunk.  In an attempt to protect her drunken husband as he drove up the mountain to their home, she planted eucalyptus trees – about 10 feet apart - on the canyon side of the road. 

·         Mrs. Wrigley also had a bell tower built on a mountaintop near her home.  It rang out every 15 minutes in the morning so all her employees would know how long they had to get to work … and also to interrupt Zane Grey’s thoughts while writing!!!

·         The Catalina Film Festival is a fundraising event in support of the Conservancy District which protects the island and its environment.

Our Time in SoCal

We recently traveled to SoCal for a variety of reasons, most importantly to celebrate my mother Doris Henion’s 90^th birthday (although she didn’t want anyone to know her age).  While there we (including my brother Larry who flew in from Seattle) began the process of cleaning, sorting and discarding at Mother’s home.  For two days, we went through every cupboard, drawer and closet to completely clean out the laundry room, the hall, the barroom and the sewing room / office.  In the process we filled the neighborhood dumpster to the brim (and overflowing), took two carloads of reusable items to the local Goodwill … and when we were exhausted from the effort, we took two “mystery trips” planned ahead of time to Knott’s Berry Farm and to Catalina Island in celebration of our 50^th wedding anniversary.

Our day at Knott’s was filled with nostalgia as we tried to remember the last time we had been there.  The park was nearly empty, so we spent the day enjoying the old Ghost Town and walking right up to some pretty wild rides in the newer section of the park – several which we rode more than once.   The park was gearing up for Halloween so many of the rides were closed for maintenance or in preparation for a month leading up to All Hallows Eve, but we had adrenalin rushes on the Pony Express, the Mouse, the Mine Train, Log Ride and the Wild Rapids.  It was a fun day .... with some GREAT rides and waaaaaaaaayyyy cheaper than Disneyland!

Our Eldest Comes to Visit

Kelly and Gary were down this weekend to attend her 30-year class reunion (she tried to talk him out of attending, but he would not be dissuaded).  They golfed with classmates (she was the only “girl” who showed up on the links) and had dinner at Staheli Farms, sharing a table with Stacy and Rick (another of her classmates).  On Sunday we drove up to Zion and had lunch together before sending them on their way.  It was a nice weekend with our oldest daughter and her husband.  We hope they will come back again soon.

A Visit to the Mile High City

We spent 10 pleasant days in Denver, bookended by David’s birthday on August 18 and David and Jan’L’s 19^th wedding anniversary on August 26.  When we left St. George for our 24-hour round trip, the car was filled to the brim with Jan’L’s favorite hometown goodies, including a dozen loaves of Grandma Sycamore bread (safe for Kole’s allergies), a gallon of Wild Coyote ranch dressing and another of Wild Coyote salsa; two dozen orange rolls from Grandma Tobler’s and a new faucet for the kitchen sink!  Jan’L had already left for her nephew Matthew’s wedding in Southern California when we got there, so Saturday was spent playing with the boys at Heritage Square where we enjoyed the alpine slide, Disney-esque tea cups and taking lots of pictures.  On Sunday we were blessed to witness Kaler passing the Sacrament and were pleased to see David can still wear the suit he bought at the time of their wedding.  He is keeping himself slim and trim – despite consuming a healthy serving of birthday cake and ice cream after opening his gifts - a gun safe from M/D and an assortment of carefully selected gifts from his wife and children.

 

During the week, while the boys were in school – Kaler is a freshman in high school, Kole is in middle school and Kyle, a 2^nd grader who reads at a 5^th grade level – we explored the sights around Denver.  On Tuesday we traveled to Estes Park / Rocky Mountain National Park (luckily, Dad had his Golden Eagle pass in his wallet) including the beautiful – and haunted – Stanley Hotel which was the inspiration for “The Shining” one of hundreds of ghost story novels by Stephen King. 

 

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Ed and I played tourists in the “Mile High City.”  We attended a session at the Denver Temple but almost didn’t get in because we couldn’t find a parking place.   Ironically, the Fort Collins Temple groundbreaking was being held on the same day. No question Colorado needs another temple. 

We went to the Denver Art Museum which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Everything I saw made me smile!

On Thursday, Jan’L flew off to Tennessee for another long weekend with her family at the Nascar races – leaving us to ride herd on the boys while David worked.

 

On Saturday, we loaded the boys up for a “mystery trip” to the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum (Jan’L thought it was a “boy trip” anyway so didn’t mind missing out).  The boys ooooed and aaaaahed at the big planes, the little planes, the old planes, the new planes, the toy planes and the simulators!  It was a pretty expensive day, but worth it to see how excited they all were.

Intermittently throughout the week, we helped with homework and with Kaler's preparation for his Sunday School lesson, played Monopoly (Kaler beat us all by a substantial margin), had some good conversation with our oldest son, did a steady stream of dishes, enjoyed breakfast for dinner and a hobo dinner on the backyard grill and had a couple of movie nights (Hachi, 42, Epic …) with David’s famous carmel corn.

 

When it came time to leave for home, the boys all cried.  “A good sign,” David said as we waved goodbye … but I’m not sure he meant because the kids were sorry to see us go or because when he said it, we were backing out of his driveway!

My New Handyman

Our summer has been busy with lots of travel and visitors, work and volunteering, projects around the house and yard work.  We’ve ushered at Tuacahn a half dozen times, chaired the ward Pioneer Day Picnic at Pine Valley, bottled the harvest from our garden and socialized with many family and friends – all in our usual triple digit Dixie summer weather.  In the middle of it all and as part of our ongoing efforts to update our 22+ year old house, Ed checked into hiring a craftsman to lay tile in our three bathrooms and the laundry room.  The cost was exorbitant so he decided to do it himself!  With absolutely no experience but with good advice from Stacy’s husband Rick and our son David on laying out the 12” tiles, he dove into the project.  I must admit I was very skeptical.  He has always been a “suit” so I just couldn’t imagine he could successfully turn into a tradesman … but despite the effort of getting up and down a hundred times and having aching knee joints, he did a wonderful job and our bathrooms and laundry room now look amazing!  In addition, we saved more than $1000 in labor!  Not bad for a retired banker whose hue and cry is always, “I’d rather be golfing!”

Cedar Mountain High!

On August 2, we took the old camper to the top of Cedar Mountain where members of my Rotary club and their families met for our annual summer party at Jack and Louise Petersen’s summer cabin at Swain’s Creek – about a 200 mile round trip from St. George.  The party was scheduled for Saturday but we decided to beat the rush and go up on Friday so we could ride the ATV’s and enjoy the peaceful, serene beauty of the area sans the crowd milling around.

Jack brought out his four ATV’s and took us for a ride through the Dixie National Forest ending at what they refer to as “Little Bryce” on the backside of Bryce Canyon National Park (see photos).  While riding, Jack led the way while Louise helped Ed turn his ATV around on a narrow trail.  I was on my ATV in the middle of the pack.  Apparently Jack’s ATV caused enough ground motion that when I came along the trail a few minutes later I was the “final straw.”  I noticed some movement on the right side of the trail … and suddenly a good sized tree fell over across the trail missing me by about 2 feet.   Jack said he had heard of such a thing, but in the 18 years they have been riding through the forest, he had never actually witnessed it.

With Rotarians and their families – numbering nearly 40 men, women and children - we enjoyed a spectacular view, comfortable temperatures, ATV rides, horseshoes, volleyball and badminton, a live country-western band, a fabulous meal and the chance to hang out with friends. 

After dinner, but before the sun went down, about a dozen couples on 4-wheelers headed out for an hour long evening ride along Muddy Creek for the perfect ending to a perfect day!

Happy Birthday, Bugga

Wait!!!  When did I get this old?  I simply can’t believe it because when I look in the mirror I don’t see an old woman, but obviously the calendar – and some of my friends and family - beg to differ!  For my birthday and the chance to see David and his family, Stacy threw a party at her house complete with Rick’s delicious bar-be-qued chicken, Danielle’s French fries, green salad and of course, cake (with lots of gooey frosting) and ice cream.  David and Jan’L, their three boys Kaler, Kole and Kyle were with us after a week on the Jones’ houseboat at Lake Powell.  Also present were Alyssa, Josh, Daxton, BJ, Taisley, Kendi, Danielle, Stacy and Rick.  We enjoyed a noisy time together – including a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.”  It was very fun and much appreciated, even though I still can’t believe I’m this old.  Nana said it best when on her death bed she said she had an 18-year-old spirit anxious to break free of her 96-year-old body.  I’m not there yet, but from where I am, I can now see both ends of the spectrum!

Adyn Says Home is Where her Mom and Dad Are

In late June, Kaytee needed a break and Grandmas Kim (Postma) and I were only too happy to oblige.  The Postmas traveled to Anaconda for a few days, then brought 5-year-old Adyn and 2 ½ year old Skylar back to southern Utah for a visit.  In Hurricane, the little girls enjoyed playing with cousins and being with Grandpa Mark and Grandma Kim.  Five days later, they came to our house where they played in the neighbor’s wading pool, at the splash pad at St. George’s Town Square and slept together in our big guest bed.  On Wednesday, July 3 we traveled to Ogden where we enjoyed Kelly and Gary’s hospitality, went to Hogle Zoo and helped America celebrate Independence Day with a huge fireworks show! On Friday, we traveled the second half of our 13-hour trip to Anaconda, MT where the little girls’ Mom and Daddy waited anxiously for their return. 

In Anaconda we painted Adyn’s bedroom purple and yellow … celebrated her birthday at the park … and saw “Monsters University” at the beautiful Washoe Theater, designed and built by the same man who designed and built Radio City Music Hall in New York City.  Kaytee – through her usual careful planning and preparation – pulled off a delightful birthday party for her 5-year-old, but nearly made herself sick worrying about the weather.  It rained all morning and into the early afternoon while she prayed for a miracle of dry weather for the party.  Sure enough, just before the little guests began to arrive, the clouds parted and the sun came out.  We gratefully looked to the heavens and offered a prayer of thanksgiving. 

There were tears shed when it was time to go home – not sure if it was because we had to say goodbye or because of the 13-hour trip ahead of us.  These high energy preschoolers wore us out (thank goodness for Taisley who helped us ride herd on them), but it was so much fun to be with them in St. George and in Anaconda! 

Welcome to the Family, Baby G!

Guillermo Adam Gonzalez, infant son of Tylre Christensen and Jaeson Gonzalez is the newest member of the family, born in Sonoma, California on June 16, 2013 at 12:00 a.m.  Weighing in at a husky 9 lbs. 1 oz., and 21” long, Baby G wasn’t breathing or crying when he entered the world so had to be transported to a hospital 45-minutes away.  They were able to get him breathing normally but then he developed a bacterial infection they couldn’t pinpoint.  They ran several tests including a spinal tap testing for meningitis but couldn’t confirm anything but 7-days of antibiotics killed whatever bacteria he had.  His parents, Grandma Kris and other family members are recovering nicely, too!

 

Our trip to Guatemala (May 26 – June 2, 2013)

Dad / Grandpa / Ed and I boarded a plane on Sunday morning to fly to Guatemala with a dozen members of my Rotary club for their 8th annual humanitarian service trip.  We thought we were going to spend 3 days in “blistering heat” in the villages around Antigua where we built five stoves in individual homes where meals are prepared on an open fire, provided dental care to suffering men, women and children and distributed shoes and toys.   However, we were freezing and unprepared for the cold!

Two of our party (Dan Strobell and Dan McArthur) are fluent Spanish speakers so we got along pretty well as long as one of them was with us.  I’ve never considered myself anywhere near “bi-lingual” but I was pleasantly surprised at how much of my high school Spanish (and what I picked up from living in Los Angeles) came back to me so I was pretty much able to communicate our needs in just about every situation.

We had a beautiful hotel room – with the hardest bed I have ever slept on – but we were asked to turn out the lights as much as possible (to save energy) and to use a candle provided in the room. 

Before we left, people keep asking “why Guatemala?”  We considered the good reasons why we wanted to travel to yet another 3^rd world country and here is our answer: 

The rate of women and children who die from smoke inhalation and other fire related problems is staggering.  With the simple stoves we built the amount of pollutants in the air they breathe is reduced by 81%.  One woman who got her stove last year  - and who was thrilled to see Rotarians again – greeted us with, “see, no smoke!”  She was also pleased to tell us her children could not reach the inner – hot part – of the stove, so “no burns!”  She also appreciated the luxury of being able to prepare a meal rather than one-thing-at-a-time as she had always done before!

In addition, to keep firewood in the house for meal preparation, the little girls in the family usually spend their entire day combing the countryside instead of developing their academic skills in a classroom. 

So, the reasons we went to Guatemala:

a.       To help Guatemalan women live long enough to see their grandchildren

b.      To send Guatemalan girls back to school

c.       The clock is ticking!  "Don't think TIME will change our Life . . . TIME only changes the expiration dates of our opportunities!"

d.      It’s a tax-deductible vacation

e.      We need another stamp in our passport

f.        There’s nothing to watch on TV … or in the movie theater

But, our trip was not all work.  We flew to Tikal (in the northern part of Guatemala) where we hiked to the Mayan ruins, took a boat ride on the river, enjoyed some delicious meals, swam and in general, enjoyed our travels.

So, here’s our trip to Guatemala, by the numbers:

·         Number of days away from home                                                    8

·         Number of Rotarians and friends of Rotary on the trip               13

·         Number of roundtrip miles from SG to Guatemala                      5440

·         Number of steps to the top of Templo IV                                      725

·         Number of pictures Ed took                                                             765                        

I hope we get to go again!  It was a great adventure.