Looking back over the last twelve months, here are what I believe to be the Sappington Family's Top Ten stories of 2018, but I welcome input relating to stories I may have missed ... or a change in the order of my stories for this list:
1. In 2018, Mom was selected to serve as Utah Rotary District 5420’s Governor in 2020-21. I am shocked, to say the least, but honored to serve … if I live that long! In my first year, I have taken on a few district projects. In my next Rotary year, I will be much more involved – particularly in learning more about how the district operates – and will be inducted officially on July 1, 2020.
2. For nearly a week in early August (counting travel time), Michael and his family, Kaytee and her family, Kelly and Gary, along with Dad and Mom, gathered for a family vacation in Yellowstone Nat’l. Park. We rented the cabin of our former missionary friends in Island Park. We were told it sleeps up to 15 but only has a refrigerator for 5. It was a great opportunity to get better acquainted with Jessica, Kirsten, Joshua, Laura … and have fun with Lilly and Josh. It would be more fun if we had more family members who could join us,
3. Cruz Joaquin Gonzalez, our 5th "great" grandson, was born to Tylre Dayle Christensen and Jason Gonzalez on October 3, 2018. According to his mother - and his doting grandmother Kris - he is an easy, happy and beautiful baby boy!
4. In early May, we spent 16 glorious days in Scotland /Ireland. It was an absolutely amazing vacation and particularly fun because all family members who have had their DNA tested, found they have at least a small amount of Scottish and/or Irish ancestry.
5. In June, we attended the Rotary International Convention in Toronto, Canada. It was a really fun week of sightseeing, meetings and interacting with the more than 30,000 attendees from all over the world. The most memorable Rotarian I met, was a 40-something member of a Rotary club in California, but born in Georgetown, Guyana and a member of the Church, who told me her goal in life “is to find a way to get the Church to save records which are rapidly deteriorating for the families of Guyana.” Miracles definitely happen in Rotary … and in the Church. We’ll see on this one but if you want to know more about this amazing encounter see my June 20 post.
6. In 2018, we saw two of our beautiful granddaughters engaged. Danielle Welch will soon marry her longtime beau Kale … and Kendi Hansen will marry Taylor Dunkley on May 18, 2019. Our precious family continues to grow as we move forward in life.
7. 16-year-old Taisley Welch went hunting with her dad and mom and bagged her first deer bringing down a big ol’ 3-point buck with a 24” spread from an unbelievable distance of 400 yards.
8. Rick Welch, after 24 years as a member of the St. George Fire Department, including as a volunteer, retired ... well, at least he stopped being a fireman ... on June 15, 2018. There was a party hosted by the City of St. George. After cake and kudos, the SGFD surprised him with a ride home – after his last shift – on the City's antique Studebaker firetruck, including his family, officers in full-dress uniforms, flashing lights and sirens. He now drives a truck for a friend of his and works on trucks as a mechanic. He loved the guys and gals with whom he worked, but he's a happy guy not having to scoop up body parts off the highway or retrieving charred bodies from burning buildings.
9. Michael has found his newest passion in life is Family History (“better than spending time on Facebook,” he says). At last count, he has added more than 3000 family members on Ancestry.com, is posting pictures and histories almost daily. In a recent text, he noted, "You know, the Germans are only 11% of my DNA but they are 98% of my problems with my genealogy." To aid him in this great work, I went through my records and discovered my aunt Lois Henion Higgins Clark had begun working on what she titled "The Henion Story." I only have a few pages of her work – including a handwritten history my father wrote for her about their parents – but have since discovered my cousin Coyia has most of it, which she promises to send me.
10.Selwin Lovell completed two years of school at Dixie State University in record time, receiving his Associate of Science degree in a little over a year and a half. He will graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree, majoring in Communications, on May 3, 2019 … then on to a Master’s degree.
11.Coral Henion Nyland, my father’s last surviving sibling, passed away on March 8, 2018 ... just 10 days short of her 98th birthday. She and my mother were never close so Larry and I didn’t see much of her when we were growing up, but she was a beautiful woman.
It has been an interesting year for the Sappington family, but I think next year holds lots more stories so our list is likely to be our Top 12-15!
