Another Henion Passes

Lois Jewell Henion Higgins Clark (left), my dad’s baby sister, was born on May 21, 1926 and died from a stroke on Friday, March 27, 2009 at the age of (almost) 83. Though I have not seen much of her in the past two (maybe even three) decades, I have many happy memories of my association with my aunt. She had a wonderful, raspy laugh that came all the way up from her toes and she was an interesting contradiction in terms. She had a well-deserved reputation as a terrible housekeeper, but loved to entertain! She was hard on her husband, but he absolutely adored her (and, I suspect, he is suffering terribly at her loss). She struggled for many years with diabetes (our family disease) and recently with serious heart problems complicated by a lifelong struggle with alcohol. She lost her first husband in 1942 when his plane was shot down during World War II and her only daughter Zanna, who fell from a rocky ledge after about her 100th rock climb, leaving behind two beautiful daughters.

Though my Aunt Lois was almost 20 years older, we were pregnant at the same time. I was expecting Kelly (my first) when she was expecting Adam Peter (her fourth and last child) so we had a lot to talk about; and, when we lived in Thousand Oaks - not far from their home in Northridge - we enjoyed many fun times together. She teased me frequently about my Mormon-penchant for food storage and made particular fun of all the bottles of water we had stored "just in case!" When the 1972 earthquake hit (measuring over 7.2 on the Richter Scale), hers and hundreds of other homes in Northridge were left without safe drinking water for several days; but, she knew who to call. The very water bottles she had teased me about sustained her family for about a week. She never again made fun of my food storage.

It’s too long of a story to share here, but Lois helped me solve a tricky genealogy problem relating to her mother’s birthday. If you haven’t already heard the story, ask me about it sometime. My darling aunt leaves behind her husband Stan and three sons - Steve, Dexter and Adam Peter. Regarding the photo, Coral Nyland (in the middle) is the only sister still living. Leodice Henion Wheeler (in the blue blouse) was the oldest.  Lois and Leodice were my favorite of my dad's sisters, perhaps because I knew them the best.

Kendi Is On a Roll

She didn’t tell us until almost the end of March, but Kendi was named “Student of the Month” at Tonaquint Intermediate School for the month of February. On top of that honor, she brought home her best ever report card yesterday - all A’s and B’s!!! She is very focused at home and is working hard in school. Kendi doesn’t do much tooting of her own horn, but all of us on the home team – her mom, sister and grandparents - are very proud of her accomplishments.

Happy Birthday, Taisley

On a beautiful spring Friday, March 13 - an ominous day to the world in general but a lucky day for the birthday girl - Taisley's friends and several family members gathered at the new park on Dixie Drive, with its fun interactive play equipment, to celebrate her 7th birthday. Avery, Marcus and Tessa, Kyla, Melissa, Jillianne, Allysa and Josh, Momma, Kendi (and her friend Summer), Aunt Kaytee, Papa (aka Dick Foote), Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed hot dogs and chips as well as the traditional cake and ice cream whileTaisley enjoyed the attention and lots of beautiful gifts.

Taisley’s birthday on March 12 serves as a reminder of other important family events! It was seven years ago when Stacy was deathly ill with Valley Fever and had to be lifeflighted to Salt Lake City on March 11. Though this vicious fungal disease is under control, she is one of the "unlucky" 1% of those diagnosed with Valley Fever who will need to be medicated for life! Three days after Stacy flew off in the airplane, and two days after Taisley was born, Michael and Tara were married in the Salt Lake Temple. How lucky we are to have this beautiful and talented young woman - and our precious Lilly - in the family.

Stop Me Before I Hurt Myself!

Hi, my name is Linda . . . and I'm a certifiable, can't-stop-myself blogaholic! At the moment, I have four blogs going at the same time, including this one for my family and friends, one for my ward, one for my Rotary club and one for the Utah Rotary District Conference for which I am the chairman in 2010. I also post regularly to two other blogs - one for the Youth Volunteer Corps in Utah and one for the Utah Commission on Volunteers and to add to the problem, I am always thinking of other blogs I would like to create. Help me, please!!! Surely there must be a support group somewhere. This passion has now become an addiction and it is taking over my life.

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!