It's Identical Twins

After many years of intermittant pain in my feet - probably caused by a history of wearing high heels - I finally scheduled an appointment with podiatrist, and long time friend, Keith Reber, who immediately diagnosed my problem as a neuroma - well, actually two neuromas - one in each foot. For those who might not know, a neuroma is a growth on the nerve tissue - usually between the third and fourth toe bones. This sometimes VERY painful condition develops when bones press together and irritate the nerve. Keith suggested surgery when I was ready - and after a very painful episode following dinner at The Outback, I was definately ready!!! Yesterday, I spent an hour in an operating suite at Dixie Regional Medical Center and for the next couple of weeks I have to wear really funny looking shoes and take things slow and easy. Keith was really impressed with my good health history. As he noted, most of my time spent at the hospital was either as an employee or giving birth . . . so while I was in the recovery room, Keith met with Dad in the waiting room, announcing with a laugh, "They were large identical twins but Mom is doing very well!!!"

On a pain scale of 1-10, I am at a 1. Other than pain-worse-than-death when the surgical tech literally tore my skin off removing the bandage wrapped around my legs, this has not been any worse than having a root canal.

Baby Lilly Comes to Visit

It was a very busy weekend - with wall-to-wall beds and blankets - when Michael, Tara, Lilly (also known as Lillers, Willa, Lillian Blythe - when her mother is frustrated at her antics, and Boo), Sadie and Eustace (Michael's two BIG chocolate Labradors) showed up to take part in Kaytee's "What Women Want" home party! We were in Las Vegas with Stan and Diane Blackett when Michael called to say they were on the highway . . . and where were we? It was fun to have them for a visit, though Tara had a bride to fit with a wedding dress she is making. Michael and I had some good conversation about the economy (his field of study) and his work (or lack thereof, although he assures me he is doing OK and they are able to stay ahead of the bills).

It was so much fun to have Lilly around. At 21 months old (her birthday is April 9), her parents and doctor say she has a large head for her age, but she is not even on the charts for her weight she is so teeny! But for one so small (The Small One, her mother calls her), she has an enormous vocabulary which allows her to get what she wants in life. While everyone was at Kaytee's party, those of us who had already expended our budgets for candles, baby gifts, vinyl lettering and hostess gifts, gathered up Lilly and Taisley and headed over to the park. It was packed with kids, but Lilly couldn't have been happier. Later, back at Grandma's house, she discovered a secret hiding place in the entertainment center in the living room. Such fun!

Disneyland for Christmas

During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, I got the brilliant idea to take Kendi and Taisley to Disneyland when we took Grandma Doris home . . . BIG MISTAKE! We left her home in Corona at around 10 a.m. on Monday, December 29 - drove about 20 minutes to the entrance of the Magic Kingdom - then waited in line to park (at a cost of $12 per car . . . and there were thousands of cars). Then we walked and walked and walked to the gate to buy tickets . . . at a cost of $69 for the park jumper pass or $99 each for Disneyland only!!! When we finally got our tickets at 2 p.m. (Yes, that’s right . . . 4 hours from when we first pulled off Ball Avenue and onto Disney property), we were told the park hopper passes were cheaper, but we would not be able to go to Disneyland until after 5 p.m. (California Adventure was our option during the day). Lucky for us the park didn’t close until midnight which gave us plenty of time to go on maybe six rides because there were approximately 150,000 people in the park. I have been to Disneyland dozens of times in my lifetime . . . and have NEVER seen so many people in one place before! Assuming every person in the park spent an average of $200 each (counting parking, entrance fees, food and souvenirs), we estimated the day we spent there was a $10,000,000 day for Disney!

To quote your Dad: "I love Disneyland . . . it’s the expense, the people, the traffic, and the rides I don’t like!"

Top Ten Family Stories of 2008

Here it is . . . the eagerly anticipated Sappington family Top Ten stories of 2008. As you see in this list, we have had some very high highs as well as some very low lows, but we have survived and are still moving on down the road of life! 

#10 . . . Dad gets the first hole-in-one of his lifetime on November 18 (see blogspot writeup of November 18, 2008). #9 . . . In September we flew to the Big Island of Hawaii with our friends Stan and Diane Blackett. Our primary reason was to attend a memorial service for Uncle Phil (see #4 of our family’s top ten stories of 2008), but while there we took full advantage of this vacation paradise with its beautiful weather and spectacular beaches. During our vacation, Stan showed us a quarter-sized bump on the side of his face and asked if we thought it was anything serious. It didn’t look serious to us, but we - as Diane had been doing all along - encouraged him to have a doctor check it out so he could stop worrying. He made an appointment when he got home and to our shocked surprise the diagnosis was non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He is now into his second month of chemotherapy. He seems to be doing very well with his treatment and we are hopeful there will be many more trips together in the future. We certainly love the Blacketts, a fun couple who over the past few years, have become some of the closest friends of our married life. #8 . . . In May we traveled to Ogden to witness the graduation from Clearfield High School of Kelly’s daughter and our 2nd oldest granddaughter, Whitney Maycock. This straight "A" student with a heart of gold was honored by her more than 450 classmates with the "Heart of the Falcon" Award, as an example of the values of the class of 2008. In early June, Allysa Lund, Stacy’s oldest daughter and our oldest granddaughter graduated from Millcreek High School in St. George. They both looked beautiful in their caps and gowns and, as grandparents, we are very proud of Whitney and Allysa for the accomplishment of this milestone. #7 . . . Whitney, Kelly and Stacy are off to college! After graduation in May, Whitney enrolled at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City where she is studying psychology. At the same time, Kelly signed up with the University of Phoenix where she is studying business communications. Stacy, who currently works as a CNA at Dixie Regional Medical Center, has recently enrolled in the nursing program at Dixie State College where she will work, over the next few years, toward a degree as a Registered Nurse. Once she has an RN after her name, she is pretty much assured employment anywhere and for as long as she wants to work due to a worldwide nursing shortage! #6 . . . Maxie, our 17-year-old Schnauzer, was put to sleep by her longtime veterinarian Bruce Jacobson on May 11 (see blogspot writeup of October 23, 2008) #5 . . . Stacy, Kendi and Taisley come home to Provost Road. On May 25, the last day of the school year, Stacy moved home with her two daughters, Kendi (age 12) and Taisley (age 6) following the initiation of a difficult divorce which has left her finances in the tank! Kendi is now a student at Tonaquint Intermediate School and Taisley is in the 1st grade at Bloomington Elementary School. Because Stacy works 3 12-hour shifts each week at DRMC, it has been good for the kids to come home after school to "Grandpa Mom." Although the house was not built for this many people, it has worked out OK and we thoroughly enjoy having the kids around (most of the time)! #4 . . . Phil Sappington, the youngest of Phil and Mina Sappington’s 4 sons, passed away quietly in his sleep on July 10, 2008 from complications of lymphoma (see blogspot writeup of October 26, 2008). #3 . . . Adyn is welcomed into the family! Our adorable 8th granddaughter and 12th grandchild came into the world on July 8. She is a spitting image of her daddy, Josh who has been utterly and completely wrapped around the tiny finger of this precious little girl since the first minute he held her in his arms (see blogspot writeup of October 31). #2 . . . On June 17, following a massive heart attack, my dad Dexter Henion passed away quietly in his sleep at the age of 93. He lived a good life, made many friends and is greatly missed by his family. (See blogspot writeup of October 6). Of most importance to me at this difficult time , was the love and support I received from my children, all who were by my side - though most had to travel great distances at enormous expense - as I said goodbye to my father. and the #1 story of 2008 is: "Nation’s economic downturn wrecks havoc in the family." Call it a recession, a depression or just a downturn in the economy, the second half of 2008 was memorable because of the terrible toll it took on our family. Kris, who has spent the past several years as a mortgage loan processor making big money in California, saw her business vanish before her very eyes. She was able to find a job as an office manager for a physician in her community but does not have anywhere near the income in this new field. To make ends meet, she does other work from home in the evening but will no doubt, lose her home. Kaytee and Josh have also had more than their share of economic disaster. Josh, who worked with his dad and brother as partners in the state’s largest concrete company, saw the construction industry in St. George dry up - almost overnight - ultimately resulting in a business bankruptcy and the inevitable loss of their home. Michael, too, has been hit hard by problems in the mortgage business. His framing company - Blue Ledge Construction - is no more! Last summer he had three crews working around the clock - this year, he went four months without a paycheck. Ultimately, he dissolved the company partnership, wished his partner well and is moving on! Tara accepted a fulltime job with benefits at the bridal shop where she has been working part time for the past six months. Through these difficult times, Michael and Tara - who have enormous faith in the Lord - have had miracles happen on their behalf. As hard as their current situation is, Michael continues to move forward believing "this too shall pass." Stacy, too is struggling financially, not so much because of the nation’s economic woes, but because of a divorce. She looks forward to a day when she and her girls will once again have a place of their own, but is making the best of her circumstances - going back to school and working hard at the hospital. Of our six offspring, Kelly and David are probably doing the best financially and seem to be (relatively) unaffected by the economic situation. David changed jobs in 2008, leaving behind his job with Lowe’s and signing on with Apple Computer where he is very happy, in part because he got an increase in pay and a cut in his hours. Kelly and Gary, employees at Hill Air Force Academy, are economically sound and happy to be sharing their lives together - especially since the renovation of their home is now complete. Here’s hoping 2009 is a far better year for our family and our country!

Merry Christmas 2008

Christmas 2008 has come and gone, but the memories will linger on! It has been awhile since we have had the joyful laughter of little children eagerly awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus, but this year we counted down with Taisley and watched her excitement grow as we moved day-by-day closer to Christmas Day. We watched Kendi struggle to decide where she would spend her Christmas Day - with her mom and sister here at home or with her dad and cousins in a mountain cabin at Fish Lake. Grandma Doris struggled, too, with that decision. Should she stay home in Corona, CA with her memories or come to St. George to share the holiday with family making new memories? During this relatively quiet holiday, we had a little snow, several holiday parties, a lot of mall time and saw Stacy, Taisley, Kendi, Grandma Doris, Kaytee, Josh and Adyn; Allysa and Josh and Whitney. At the same time, we greatly missed Larry, David, Kris, Kelly and Michael, who could not be with us because of winter weather, economics or job responsibilities. During this holiday season, we ate too much, spent too much and watched way more than our share of those two-hanky holiday movies on FaLaLa Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel. All-in-all, it was not the most memorable Christmas we have ever had, but it was nice, quiet and friendly.

Side note: I did not make my "famous" Ribbon Jello Salad for Christmas dinner (which no one ever eats anyway). As a result, Stacy believes she will need to spend time with a therapist to work through her disappointment.

Here's a little poem which I thought fit our family circumstances exactly:

WE WON'T HAVE A CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR
by Verna Teeuwissen

We won't have a Christmas this year, you say
For now the children have all gone away.
The house is so lonely, so quiet, so bare
We can't have a Christmas without them to share.

We won't have a Christmas this year, you sigh
For Christmas means things which money must buy.
Misfortunes and illness have robbed us, we fear
Of the things that we'd need to make Christmas this year.

We won't have a Christmas this year, you weep
For a loved one is gone and our grief is too deep.
It will be a long time before our hearts will heal,
And the spirit of Christmas again we will feel.

But if you lose Christmas when troubles befall,
You never have really had Christmas at all.
For once you have had it, it cannot depart
Since the true meaning of Christmas is Christ in your heart.

Speaking of Snow . . .

My brother Larry has been planning for sometime to fly to LA to pick up Grandma Doris, then drive up to St. George for Christmas . . . but, Mother Nature had other plans! The biggest snow storm to hit Seattle since 1861 has brought the city to a virtual standstill without public transportation or mail service. Most of Seattle is unable to get to work or to other essential destinations (like the grocery store). Larry, who is on vacation until January 5, had originally planned to fly out on Sunday afternoon, but upon realizing that was probably not going to happen, he rescheduled his flight for Tuesday morning . . . at a cost for the change of $175! On Monday morning, the Seattle Airport was closed, leaving thousands of travelers stranded. Today Larry - in desperation - doned his heaviest coat and most trustworthy shoes and headed down the very steep hill from his condo to the nearest grocery store - a trek of about 1.5 miles one way which took him more than an hour to get there and an hour back for bread, milk and eggs! We will certainly miss his humor and interesting conversation (just as long as you keep him off the subject of politics) around our Christmas dinner table and we hope his cute little red Crossfire will soon be thawed out! In the meantime, Larry has no sympathy for us in southern Utah who got dusted - not dumped on - last week!

Dashing Thru the Snow . . .

Someone somewhere in southern Utah must have been "dreaming of a white Christmas" because on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 the sky darkened, the temperature dropped and it began to snow in Las Vegas, Nevada - which was so unusual it was the lead story on Thursday morning's "Today" Show. But the real news in St. George was that we had snow, too. We only got about 3-5 inches and it was heavy, wet and mostly gone by Thursday afternoon, but it was enough to close the schools throughout the district - not because it snowed but because the city has no snow removal equipment. In all the years we have lived in St. George we have only seen measurable snow - enough to close the schools - three times (I only remember two, but Kaytee swears there was a school closure when she was a kid). The first time was in January 1979, the first winter we lived here. We had just moved from Salt Lake and our kids thought it was the funniest thing they had ever heard of to have a "snow day" with only 3 inches of snow. Thirty years later Kendi and Taisley woke up today to the news school had been cancelled. Tomorrow will be "business as usual" but for today, they enjoyed the opportunity to make snowmen and pelt each other in a good natured snowball fight. One week before Christmas, the girls made some good memories together!

Grandpa's Waffles

"Please can we have waffles, Grandpa," said a chorus of visiting grandchildren over the recent Thanksgiving weekend. "We love your waffles!"

"Wait just a minute," chimed in Grandma who was standing nearby. "Those aren’t Grandpa’s waffles . . . they’re waffles made from Grandma’s recipe which makes them Grandma’s waffles. Grandpa just adds an egg and a little bit of water! It’s the exact same waffle if I make them or if Grandpa makes them, so why are they Grandpa's Waffles?"

With his legendary quick wit, 13-year-old Zachary considered that for a minute then said, "Maybe so, but between yours and Grandpa’s, his is always going to be better!" We all howled with laughter then enjoyed breakfast together!

Here’s the now famous recipe for Grandpa’s Waffles (made by Grandma):

20 cups of white flour
2 ½ cups of powdered milk
3/4 cup of baking powder
½ cup of sugar
2 T. of salt
2 T. Cream of Tartar
2 lb. vegetable shortening (about 2/3 of a can)

Blend by hand to a fine mix which resembles Bisquick (but tastes so much better). When its time to make waffles (or pancakes) just add an egg and water to 1-2 cups of mix and pour into your heated waffle iron.

The Worst Thanksgiving Ever!

Late night TV talk show host David Letterman said it best: "The holidays with my family are like a Taliban civil war with egg nog!"

Kris and her family arrived from Sonoma on Wednesday evening. Kelly, Gary and Whitney arrived later in the evening from Salt Lake City. Stacy and Kaytee were already offended that Grandma had planned a birthday party on Wednesday evening for Tylre (Nov. 22), Gary (Nov. 26) and Whitney (Dec. 1) but had not included Allysa. Our oldest granddaughter's birthday is December 6, but she lives here. After a week of preparation, the party was cancelled so no one would be offended. On Thursday morning everyone gathered for "the festivities" but within what seemed like minutes of our getting together, Kris had already been offended by not finding her picture on my kitchen calender (despite, she said, sending us many pictures thoughout the year which neither her dad nor I recall receiving). Then the sparks REALLY flew over a comment Kelly made about people on welfare. Immediately after dinner Kris left to go back to Kaytee’s and remained there for two days! Stacy was also noticeably absent, choosing to spend her time after work with Kris. 6-year old Taisley was offended when Grandma hugged EJ "first." Whitney was offended when Kris asked her to take the kids to Fiesta Fun . . . then was even more offended when Kris asked her to take Zac home and she had to come back for him. Kendi was offended because her dad didn't call to wish her a Happy Thanksgiving though she didn't call him either. Kaytee was offended by Kelly’s remark that she hoped to see more of Adyn before the baby graduated from high school. Dad and I were offended to hear Stacy had passed all this ugliness along to Michael and Kris took delight in telling us Kelly had several new large tatoos. Needless to say, when the sparks flew they were not the kind of fireworks we had hoped for so I put in earplugs - which offended everybody - and eventually retreated into the bedroom.

These happy pictures of my beautiful family do not tell the true story. This was perhaps the worst Thanksgiving of my adult life! The awful feelings I experienced were reminiscent of dozens of holidays I have spent with my mother and my Grandpa Bradford (I have heard enough family stories to know his father was a real piece of work, too!!!) where everyone tip-toed around to avoid saying anything which might set either of them off. My grandfather used to always promise to participate in family holiday celebrations, but at the last minute, he would back out or stomp out because of something someone had said. No matter that it was an innocent comment . . . he took offense. I have prayed for my whole lifetime that this Bradford Curse would miss my family . . . but, try as I might I cannot make everyone happy, nor can I prevent someone - usually every someone - from being offended in one way or another. It is a pervasive problem and it is literally destroying our family!!!

So I went to the scriptures. In Doctrine and Covenants 42:88 the Savior told his disciples "if thy (brother or) sister offend thee, thou shalt take (him or) her between (him or) her and thee alone . . . that ye might be reconciled." In Romans 16:17, the Apostle Paul taught, "that which causes divisions and offenses (is) contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned. Avoid them!" I also found a great story which illustrates the problem in another way! A man saved his money for many years and made many sacrifices to purchase an expensive luxury car. Finally the day arrived when he had enough money to purchase it. When he was driving his beautiful new car home, his excitement was interrupted by a thump-thump-thump. He pulled over to the side of the road and discovered a flat tire. "I can’t believe this," he cried as he slammed the car door. "I spent all this money . . . and for what?"

Without a moment of hesitation, he pulled out a can of gasoline from the trunk, doused the car, and ignited a fire which obliterated the beautiful new luxury car. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Who would destroy a fine car because of one minor problem? Yet many of us allow the little things in any relationship - some we have nurtured for years - to go up in flames because of one careless - often innocent - remark.

Elder Marion D. Hanks asked, "What is our response when we are offended, misunderstood, unfairly and unkindly treated or when we have been falsely accused, passed over, hurt by those we love, our offerings rejected? Do we resent? Become bitter? Hold a grudge? Or do we resolve the problem so we can forgive and rid ourselves of the burden? The nature of our response to such situations may well determine the nature and quality of our lives, here and into the eternities."

My brother and I are as different as any two siblings could possibly be, yet I count him as one of my very best friends. When it comes to politics or religion, we have long since agreed to disagree, but I love him and, I believe, he loves me! Have I offended him through the years? Probably many times. Has he offended me? You dang betcha, but he is my only brother and I cannot imagine my life without him in it.

And so, my beautiful daughters, after all is said and done . . . you are sisters, but your anger is eating you alive and is impacting your children in many, very negative ways. I know each of you is struggling with very serious personal issues so it seems logical to me you would find strength by leaning on each other in these difficult times. No little difference of opinion should be important enough to destroy your families and drive a wedge between you!!! As your mother, I am begging you . . . please find a way to re-build (or build) a relationship; and, please, please, please . . . stop taking offense!!!

Dad Beats the Odds

Dad says, "On this beautiful November afternoon in Dixie I found a very happy ball at the bottom of the cup on the 8th hole at Southgate Golf Course. It only took one stroke to get the ball in the hole. Yes, I now have my first hole-in-one. Many golfers go a lifetime without even coming close and it only took me 67 years. I was golfing with Ray Odell and two others and we all witnessed a 120-yard shot over the sand trap take one bounce and into the hole. We all turned to each other and said 'did you see what I saw?' and then the high fives began. I had to buy four Cokes so I sure am happy it didn't happen on Men's Day at Green Springs. It could have cost me $100+. I have a call into FedEx Kinko's to see if they would like me to star in a commercial. Just think . . . this could mean millions in interviews and product endorsements."

What are the odds? Golf Digest reports, "One insurance company puts the chance of a PGA Tour pro scoring a hole-in-one at 1 in 3,756. For an amateur, the possibility of getting that little white ball in the cup with one swing is 1 in 12,750!!!"