Sappington Family 2016 Top Ten List

It has been another busy, exciting/interesting/fun year for the Sappington Family and as always it has been hard to narrow it down, but here is what we think are our Top Ten stories of 2016:

1.              Grandma Doris Henion passed away peacefully in the afternoon of Tuesday, August 9, 2016 at the age of 92 years and 11 months with her beloved 16-year-old cat by her side (the kitty found a new home with one of Mom's caregivers who reported Penny also passed away in mid-November).

2.              Selwin Lovell and Brianna Teddie Bair married in the St. George Temple on Saturday, November 26.

3.              Tiffany and Bob make room for identical twin boys Ashton and Sawyer (bringing the total to 8 – including Ayami)

4.              Simeon and Selwin return after 2 years as fulltime missionaries in, respectively, the Georgia Atlanta Mission (March 2014-16) and the Mississippi Jackson Mission (April 2014-16).

5.              Simeon graduates from Southwest High School as #1 out of 400 students.

6.              Allysa and Josh are "finally engaged after 11 years together and two little boys" (her words when she announced their engagement).

7.              Charlene and Tiffany survive a head-on collision.

8.              Grandma Linda is Utah Rotary’s “Rotarian of the Year” out of 2000 members.

9.              Kendi, Kris-E-Ola and Kaytee are back in school!

10.          Gary Yocum retires.

Other good stuff includes:

-    Josh is now a lieutenant at MSP.
-    Kelly and Gary's car survived a rear end accident on the I-15 freeway.
-    Bob Nelson has submitted his doctoral dissertation.

Yes, it has been an interesting and full 2016 and we look forward to another exciting, fun and busy 2017.  Happy New Year, everyone!

Christmas 2016

Christmas 2016 was a delight!  Most of the family was here in November for Thanksgiving and to see Selwin and Brianna married in the St. George Temple. Simeon had already told us he was going to spend Christmas in Provo with Stephanie so we were quite convinced we would be alone.  When Christmas got closer, we knew Larry would be with us … Stacy and her family would be joining us … but no one else.  As a result we invited some of our friends over to share the day.  Heard from all the kids and several of the grandchildren … attended Sacrament meeting to celebrate the reason for the season … and got thoughtful gifts from our family.  We had lots of good food, lots of visits from neighbors and friends.  In short, it was a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all around and we are looking forward to spending time with kids and friends throughout 2017.

Selwin and Brianna Are Married

Selwin Anthony Lovell and Brianna Teddie Bair were married for time and eternity in the St. George LDS Temple on Saturday, November 26, 2016.  Approximately 60 friends and family members – including Bob and Katie Beecher, Val and Marsha Cook, Bruce and Jan Christensen, Simeon’s girlfriend Stephanie Shipley; Daneka Souberbielle, DSU’s Multi-cultural and Diversity Center director; and, dozens of aunts, cousins, grandparents and friends gathered in the largest temple sealing room to witness this beautiful event.

A luncheon catered by members of the Bloomington 9^th Ward, followed at Dixie High School, where Brianna’s dad and our bishop works as a Vice Principal.  After a delightful slide show chronicling the lives of the bride and groom, the bride’s parents spoke as did the “mother” of the groom who was asked to share a tearful recollection of how the twins had come to live with us here in St. George.

The reception was beautiful, with Brianna expertly overseeing every tiny detail.  The food was delicious and plentiful, the decorations charming with a large crowd of well-wishers making their way to the 3^rd floor of the Dixie Academy Building (home of the St. George Children’s Museum).   After the line ended, there was dancing – Brianna with her father, Selwin with his “mom” (me) and with Lori Bair (Brianna’s mom) - then the volume rose on the music and Selwin showed his moves, along with his groomsmen and many of Brianna’s friends and cousins.

What I will remember from this special day:

·               Seeing Selwin and Brianna surrounded by family and friends and kneeling across the altar with the light streaming in the window as if heaven itself was watching.

·               Discovering my good friend and fellow Rotarian Jeff Morby had been asked to perform the sealing because he was Dakota Bair’s mission president.

·               Dancing with Selwin whispering in my ear how much he loves me and appreciates all I have done for him and his brother since they came to live with us in October 2013.

·               How impressed I was at seeing the beautiful reception this wonderful bride had put together, all the while telling me, “I’ve got this” and now I realize she really did have it all together.

·               Meeting the mother of one of Selwin’s missionary companions – Elder Hatch – who had driven down from Layton to meet the missionary who had trained her son – and who her son refers to as the “greatest guy in the world.”  She tearfully hugged me and thanked me for “all you have done for this young man.”  I appreciated her kindness, but I don’t feel like I have done anything but love these two fine young men who have blessed my life in so many ways.
Watching my three daughters, five grown granddaughters, and two sons-in-law embrace Selwin with a deep feeling of “family” although just three years ago, they all thought these two young men were just another of Mom/Grandma Linda’s projects.