My Bucket List Runneth Over: Germany

The first week of June 2019 found us in Hamburg, Germany attending the 110th Annual Rotary International Convention with about 20,000 other Rotarians from around the world.

The RI Convention was - yet again - amazing!  Our hotel was about half a mile from the Messe and Congress (convention center) so we got in about a million steps in the week we were in Hamburg, but much of our half mile walk was through the beautiful Planten un Blomen botanical garden! 

Hamburg is a city within a city, in that there was tremendous damage done by the Allied Forces 75-80 years ago, so the city is made up of pre-WWII and post WWII structures. Hamburg is thriving in many ways because it is one of the world's most important port cities. There are metal containers filled with goods and materials stacked all along the coast line and ready to be loaded onto ships for transport to many dozens of countries.

From Ego Shulman, my friend and fellow Rotarian:  "Hamburg has good - public transportation, walkable and safe streets, good food including excellent baked goods, lots of ice cream shops, airport food prices pretty close to street prices, many beautiful parks" and I'll add, almost everyone speaks some English because they are required to learn it as children in school, making it pretty comfortable and easy to ask questions and directions.

What's not so good - an ADA lawyer would have a field day here because there are a lot of places with many stairs up and down and no ramps or elevators. No idea how a person who has problems walking could manage 45 stairs from one landing to another or how someone in a wheelchair would get to the airport using the metro (it would be impossible). It's also quite dirty and there's some visible homelessness but not too bad for a city of 1.8 million. 

There were many familiar names in Hamburg: Subway, Burger King and McDonald's (although it is better known here as "McCafe" and the menu is quite different).  Speaking of names, we saw many villages and businesses with some form of Hafen, Hagen, Haven, Graf and Werner in their names.

I’ve never been to Germany before, but it represents about 20% of my DNA, and it is the part of my ethnicity I most relate to for some reason - probably because I look like my Grandma Henion and a lot like my dad.  It is a pretty country but you can't be here without being reminded it is where one of the most horrific events in human history took place.  Reminders of the halocaust (1939-45) are scattered around the landscape where millions of people were burned, gassed or otherwise had their livelihood, belongings and lives taken from them by a cruel and evil government headed by Satan's little brother Adolf Hitler. 

My German comes from my paternal grandmother Else Werner Henion whose mother Wilhelmina Breitlauch Werner was supposedly born in the little village of Düring, which is, according to the map, not-that-many-miles due east of Hamburg.  Michael, who is working hard on our family genealogy, made me promise while we were in Germany, we would make an attempt to find her records at one of two "kirchen" in Düring (which after a century and a half have relocated to another community).

So we boarded the U2 train at the Stephenplatz station a few hundred yards from our hotel, changed to the S1 train at Oldstedt, and after picking up our stick-shift rental car at the Hamburg Airport, set out for Düring in a driving rainstorm, in hopes of finding her 162-year-old birth / christening records.  

Our impressions of this more rural part of Germany:  the farmland was rich, black and fertile and the towns along the beautifully maintained autobahn were much cleaner than Hamburg. Speaking of the autobahn, its no joke, you can drive any speed you want to drive - it was crazy and terrifying!!!  

There were no obvious rest stops but we quickly determined what we should be looking for was a tiny sign every few miles along the highway which identified the existence of a WC (water closet).  

We also manuvered road construction - just like home - drove through the Elbe tunnel which is several miles long UNDER the Elbe River; and shared the highway with bumper-to-bumper semi-trucks!

Although no one could help us find it, Düring was a beautiful little village with neatly manicured yards and well-cared-for houses.  And, I felt a tingle being in the "hometown" of my great-grandmother, although there is still no evidence to support this claim.

Our plan for this little side trip was to be back in Hamburg to attend the afternoon breakout sessions at the 110^thAnnual Rotary International Convention.  What a laugh!  Those 40 miles - the distance we were told - turned out to be 120 … and we got lost at least a dozen times.  The GPS in our rental car only spoke German so we ordered international internet for $10 so we could use our Waze ap, and while it worked exceptionally well most of the time, even "she" got lost several times, which required a quick re-boot about 10 times.  We left our hotel at 8 a.m. to find Düring, but we didn’t get back to Hamburg until about 6 p.m. 

It was a great, fun week ... my regret is we didn't get to spend enough time exploring Hamburg, Deutchland (aka the "mother land") or find any information about my great-grandmother's family.  Now we're on to Italy ... auf wiedersehen.  

Kendi and Taylor Are Married

Our gorgeous Kendi Hansen, middle child of Stacy’s three daughters, married her Prince Charming Taylor Dunkley on Saturday, May 18, 2019. The bride and groom were surrounded by her myriad of friends and family who love her.  In town for this glorious and happy day were Kaytee, along with Adyn, Skylar and Thoryn who drove 11 hours from Anaconda, MT to be with the bride and her family; Kelly, Gary, Whitney and her boyfriend Alex who came from Ogden / Magna, UT; Michael and Boo, who traveled from Spanish Fork, UT; Kris, Tylre, Jaeson, Memo and baby Cruz, who also traveled 11 hours to get here from Sonoma, CA and Uncle Larry, who flew in from Seattle, WA for the fun.  (Of course, we missed family members who were unable to make this delightful event:  David, Jan'L, Kaler, Kole and Kyle; Ann Bright, Kristen, Joshua and Laura; Joshua Postma; and, Aunt Charlene).

The weather was terrible – the day before and the day after – but on her wedding day, Kendi got a gift from Mother Nature in the form of an absolutely PERFECT day with clear blue skies and a comfortable 75 degrees of sunshine.  

She was walked down the aisle on the arms of her Dad(s) … Rick Welch and Cody Hansen … and into the waiting arms of her new husband for the ceremony which took place in the fabulous backyard of family members Bryce and Neica Christensen (Neica's mom and Rick's mom are sisters).  And, see the big wooden backdrop for the ceremony?  Rick made it for her as a special gesture.

The bishop gave the happy couple some advice on keeping their marriage as happy in the future as on their wedding day reminding them to make time every week for a date night, to pray together, kiss each other (passionately) every day when they get home … and maintain a good sense-of-humor because “as much as you love each other today, there will be issues to overcome!”

During the evening, we talked with many friends and former family members, including Neal Maycock, Adam and Ty Christensen, and had a chance to visit briefly with Allysa, Josh and their three boys.  

Kendi’s dad Cody Hansen sought us out during the evening and expressed his appreciation for “all you have done for Kendi in her lifetime.” 

Kendi told some family members she was fearful one of us would tell the story of the time she almost got Grandpa arrested.  We were sorry she even worried about that on her wedding day because we love this girl and wish her and Taylor all the happiness in the world. 

Selwin Receives His Bachelors Degree

Selwin Lovell graduated magna cum laude from Dixie State University on Friday, May 3, a year ahead of schedule, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Marketing. The first in his Guyanese family to earn a college degree, Selwin is one of 1828 students - ranging in age from 16 to 67 - in DSU's Class of 2019. The husband of Brianna Teddie Bair Lovell; identical twin brother to Simeon Lovell, and, a favorite son of Linda and Ed Sappington, has been on the Dean’s List almost every semester and was, last semester, named to the President’s List of students with a 4.0 gpa. 

Selwin was pleased to have his grandmother, Minetta Lovell and his uncle Sherlock Lovell travel from Guyana to be present at this momentous event, but the biggest surprise was having his father Anthony Lovell travel from New Jersey to spend time with his twin sons. 

Later, we partied “Utah style” (with burgers and chocolate cake in the back yard) into the night with neighbors and friends and got caught up with former missionaries with whom we served in Guyana, including Meg and Michael Treseder from Queen Creek, AZ. 

Selwin has worked very hard to reach this milestone in his life.  Now on to a full-time job and an MBA!  

FAMILY STORY: David's Baptism and the Lumberjacks

When Skylar was baptized, Grandpa Ed had the chance to tell the story of David’s baptism.  After the service, Kaytee mentioned she had never heard that story so I decided I would write down some of our most memorable family stories to post to my blog.

David Scott Sappington’s 8^thbirthday coincided with our week at Tracy Lodge, a perk his father got each year he worked for Tracy Collins Bank in Salt Lake City.  David was anxious to be baptized ON his birthday, so we consulted with our bishop at the time, and were granted permission to perform this sacred ordinance in the Snake River alongside the beautiful lodge located in Island Park, ID.  

On August 18, 1977 – David’s 8^thbirthday – we gathered on the riverbank as a family along with some of the lodgers.  As soon as Ed began to speak, the sound of nearby chain saws interrupted the quiet.  When the noise stopped, he tried again, only to be interrupted again with the grating sound. We stopped again.  This time, he decided to explore the source of the racket and at least ask them to stop long enough for him to baptize and confirm his son.

He quickly found who he was looking for – a father and his two sons – who agreed they were making lots of noise but, couldn’t accommodate the “cease and desist” request because they had lots to get done that day.

Ed returned to the gathering, performed the baptism - through the noise - then escorted David to a tree stump on the river bank while preparing to perform the ordinance of confirmation.  As the circle of friends and family surrounded our little boy, three lumberjacks stepped up to join the circle of Priesthood holders.  The father noted, “we talked about it, and decided if we were too busy to acknowledge the importance of a baptism, we were too darned busy!”

It was a beautiful and memorable day.

PS: No idea who took these pictures.  Can't help but believe it might have been 6-year-old Kris or 2-year-old Michael behind the camera, based on the quality.

Exploring More of Our Beautiful Washington County, UT

Just when we thought we’d seen every nook and cranny in our beautiful red rock desert, we had the opportunity to explore the Arizona Strip even further … with 92-year-old geologist Bob Steed as our guide.  On an absolutely spectacular spring Saturday – with crystal-clear blue skies and comfortably cool temperatures – we found petroglyphs, fossils and fabulous scenery we'd never seen before but fit for several mystery trips!!!  And, there wasn’t a subdivision of new homes anywhere to be seen.

Flour and Snow Everywhere in Denver

It's such a joy to feel welcome in the homes of our children. I have been in Denver this week for Rotary meetings and was able to spend a couple of nights with our oldest son David, his darling wife Jan'L and their three boys Kaler, Kole and Kyle. We laughed, played Phase Ten and made master mix and cookie dough, then laughed some more when Kaler turned on the mixer as high as it would go while the butter was still frozen. The result was a shower of flour from one end of the kitchen to the other, making for another family story! After they dropped me at the Denver airport, Jan'L texted me, "thanks for coming. We enjoyed your visit. We will love every bite of the cookies and waffles, as well. Safe travels!"  David followed up with a text of his own, "thanks for time spent (with us).  We love you!"

Skylar Postma is the Newest Member of the Church

Then came Thursday, February 21, the day we were scheduled to leave for Montana to be with our granddaughter Skylar Postma on her baptism day, on Friday, February 22, 2019.  As it turns out, our departure from St. George coincided with one of the 7 biggest snowstorms in the history of our Southwestern Utah community.  When we left the house, it was coming down pretty hard. When we reached the incline towards Cedar City, there was a line “as far as the eye could see” of truck drivers pulled over on the side of the road putting on their chains before attempting to make the climb.  

Kaytee had a well-thought out Plan B in the event we weren’t able to get to Anaconda (she’s always prepared for whatever life throws at her) but she – and Skylar – really wanted us there.

There was plenty of snow along the I-15 corridor, but for the most part, once we got past Cedar City, the roads were clear and mostly dry.  Because of the distance to Kaytee and Josh’s home (at least 11 hours of driving), we break this trip in half, staying overnight with our sweet Kelly and Gary in Ogden.  

The baptism was somewhat of a “comedy of errors” … no one was conducting; Kaytee said the opening prayer before the opening song; my name was on the program to speak but Ed wanted to do it instead. Things went a little haywire, but when Skylar and her friend Gracie stepped into the water, everything else went by the wayside. There was a wonderful turnout, the cupcakes were good and, all-in-all, it was a memorable time together.

On Saturday, we enjoyed a delicious lunch with a choice of 6-8 different homemade soups and the most amazing sourdough bread at the Soup Shed, owned by members of the Anaconda Ward and perched on top of a snowy mountainside about 30 minutes from Kaytee’s.

  

In the evening, we attended what the bishop referred to as "an irreverent variety show" featuring such famous names as Sonny and Cher, Johnny and June Cash, and some of the regulars from Laugh-in and Hee,Haw! Honestly, it was a hoot!

We left for home on Sunday afternoon.  It was snowing pretty heavily as we drove out of town, and by bedtime in Anaconda, there was nearly 3 feet of snow in Kaytee's front yard, the outside temperature was 3 degrees, and the schools had called a "snow day" for the first time in anyone's memory.  We’ve seen more snow this weekend than we’ve seen in many years.  It’s really pretty, but we’re sure glad we don’t have to live in it every day.  

Another milestone in our family history.  We love you Skylar … but we’re glad to be home safe and sound.

Snow on Presidents Day 2019

Global warming? El Niño?  My many, many prayers for moisture in our parched southwestern Utah desert? No matter the reason, we woke up on this mid-February morning to a couple of inches of heavy, wet snow! Unusual, because in the nearly 4 decades we have lived in this part of the world we have only seen this much snow maybe 3-4 times, but its really pretty ... and welcome! It will mostly be gone by evening, but more is predicted for Thursday. Happy Presidents Day 2019, St. George. 

Mom is an ENFJ (aka The Giver)

David encouraged me to "take the test" Pretty interesting stuff.  Here are my results ... I don't consider myself an extrovert but David says the results don't lie.

Pie in Veyo with Kelly and Gary

We enjoyed having Kelly, our oldest and her husband Gary in St. George over 2019’s MLK weekend.  The sky was clear and blue so we drove up to Mountain Meadow because – after almost her entire youth spent in St. George – she had never been there. Afterwards, to lighten the mood, we ended up having lunch at the Veyo Pie shop, including sharing a slice of coconut cream, rhubarb/raspberry and volcano pie … all enjoyed with four spoons.  Yummy delicious!!!!  

It was fun to have them here!  She works really hard and deserves a chance to just relax and have fun, although I know, at the heart of their decision to visit St. George for a couple of days, was to check on her father, who had just had shoulder surgery.  So nice to know our kids care about their parents.

They went home early because the weather was threatening to turn nasty on Monday.  It was a good decision, because not only did the weather turn nasty but a power line came down and closed the freeway – going both directions, as well.  Selwin and Brianna came over later in the day for Phase Ten. Brianna reminded me, “you haven’t done any mystery trips lately.”  She’s right, so guess I’d better start planning things to do when we have nice weather ... and company.