Happy birthday, Aunt Anna!

Today was a special day for a member of our extended family.  It was the 90th birthday of my Aunt Anna!  Bonnie and I were thrilled to be invited to share in the family festivities:

Aunt Anna is a remarkable person, and has been a special woman in my life.  She was born in Talmage just a year after my Dad, and eventually married my Dad's brother (Uncle Albert).  The two brothers moved their families near each other in West Mountain and helped one another on their farms until my Dad's death in 1964.  Uncle Albert and Aunt Anna had six sons and two daughters, plus a son who died in infancy.  Their older children were quite a bit older than us, but then the youngest was younger than Judy.  So we did have quite a bit in common with them, and spent many holidays and family occasions together.  As we've grown into middle age, I've been grateful to live in Utah; it's been wonderful to interact with that family and become even closer.

When Bonnie and I were married in the Washington D. C. Temple in 1987, Uncle Albert and Aunt Anna were just completing a temple mission and were able to participate in the ceremony, with Uncle Albert serving as a witness to our sealing.  It was a thrill to have them there as "surrogate parents" since neither mine nor Bonnie's parents could participate.  (We have a wonderful photo of them on that day, but unfortunately I can't find it right now.)  Uncle Albert passed away in 1994, and Aunt Anna continues as the wonderful matriarch of the family.

Today started with a family meeting and temple session in the Manti temple. Aunt Anna's first birthday desire was to have as many of her family as possible together with her in the temple!  There were probably at least 60 there, including all of her children except Karen who was ill.

Following the temple session, we all drove back to Levan for the traditional family lunch and party in the church building.  That's when things got lively with all the children!  Aunt Anna told us she has 55 grandchildren and 117 great-grandchildren, and she thinks there are three more on the way.  The oldest great-grandchild is 15 years old, so she may live to see the next generation as well!  They fill the whole cultural hall as they gather to eat — looks like a ward social:

This clever cake was made by Laurel, Blaine's wife; the decorations included many symbols and memories of her life:

Alan is the "acting patriarch" of the family and offered a tribute, along with leading everyone in singing "happy birthday" to the honored guest:

There was time for some formal photographs, too.  I tried to take a few on the side while the official photographer was getting his shots.  Here's Aunt Anna with 7 of her 8 children (Karen was stuck in Magna with bronchitis).  I think Gordon wasn't quite ready for this one:

And here are the children with spouses:

This photo shows Aunt Anna's grandchildren who were in attendance (out of the 117 total):

Unfortunately, for the whole combined family photo, they insisted Bonnie and I also be in the picture, so I only got this photo from the side as I was coming to join the group:

Wow, what a posterity!  And what a day — we were very grateful to share it with dear Aunt Anna.  Happy birthday, and many more!!

A visit home

On Saturday April 24, my sister Angie and I spent a few hours driving around Payson and reminiscing about the people and places we knew those many years ago. So much has changed over the decades, but it was fun to see the things that are left.

We started in West Mountain, where our Payson experience began. Our Dad purchased a small farm in 1959 and moved the family there from Salt Lake City. The home we lived in still stands, though it has been dramatically remodeled. The big box elder trees in the yard (the ones showing green in the photos) were there in our childhood, though the other trees have been added since. Here's a photo of the home approaching from the east:

While we were looking at the house from the street, the current owner noticed us and came out to talk. He was very friendly, shared his memories and experiences, and eventually invited us to come in the yard and the house for a tour!

This is the front view today. The nice covered porch is new, and the fireplace on the left. The gabled windows on top are among the few things that are still like we remember.

I like this view across the front lawn, looking west towards the chapel we attended in our youth. We remembered playing on this lawn (there was very little back yard), and recalled the really old push-mower that we used to cut the grass of our lawn.

In the back of the home, they raised the level of the ground (which naturally sloped away from the house) and made a much larger back yard. The changes to the house are much more dramatic from this angle. The original house is the smaller part on the left side of the photo. The two stories with the patio and balcony extending out are all additions. I think the current owner said they raised 7 or 8 children in the home? Probably if we had stayed, we would have needed more space than we had too.

I took only a very few photos inside the home; there weren't a lot of things that I could remember, and I didn't want to invade the privacy. I do wish I had taken a photo upstairs — those little rooms nestled up under the rafters were my sisters' bedrooms, and they are as small and tight as we both remembered.

This is the one picture I did take, of the steep narrow stairs leading up to the second level. In our time, there were some shelves under the stairs facing out where there is now a bulletin board. I remember once finding my Easter basket behind some things on that shelf!


This next view from the house across the yard to the shed evoked more memories and emotions. It seems there was always machinery scattered about, and an old sheep wagon (a kind of primitive camper trailer with a rounded top, silver I believe) off to the left. There was a haystack to the right. I remember our Mother standing at the kitchen window after our Dad was killed and crying, looking out across the yard for long stretches, maybe desperately hoping she would see him emerge from that shed again.

The field to the west was part of where our Dad farmed. Our section of land stretched along that road to the south where Tom Larson's home was.

This is looking southeast from the yard near the shed. I remember having sugar beets growing in this field, and having Indians and Mexicans hired to thin the beets and weed the plants. I also remember peas and wheat in our fields, and a big section of alfalfa down near the Larson home. This is a beautiful view to me; I wonder if my Dad enjoyed looking at the mountains as much as I do.

Saving the best for last. Though I enjoy walking the yard and fields where my Dad walked and worked, this fence is one of the few very personal "treasures" that still exists in the farmyard. It's bowed and aging, but still very functional almost 50 years after our Dad built it. When I touch it, I feel like I'm touching a part of him. It will be a very sad day to return to visit in the future and find it gone.

Headstone in Payson Cemetery

I have not done well in keeping up this blog. But today I feel motivated to try to restart. We'll see if I can do a little better in keeping up, at least occasionally.

Since Sarah's wedding in August (and my last post to the blog), the major event in my life was the passing of my dear Mother last November. We had a wonderful funeral, with almost all of her descendents attending and participating (except for two grandsons, Matt on his mission in Chile and Andrew who could not get away from school at UCLA).

Since Mom died in November, we were not able to get the headstone updated and re-seated through the winter months. They had to wait for the ground to thaw and dry out. Conditions finally were right last week, and today, Bonnie and I went to Payson to see the results. (Click on any photo to view a larger and more detailed copy.)

Note the granite slab between the cement and the headstone — that's something we had added. It makes the headstone more permanent, protected, and durable, and also a little more visible. The cement foundation was badly worn in the original mounting, and looks so nice now that it's fresh and new.

This next picture shows our stone behind Uncle Albert's. You can see that the mounting (with the extra granite) is similar to his now; ours is actually slightly thicker. That was not intentional (no one ever asked me or told me how thick the granite would be); but it does help our stone to be more visible from the road.

This picture shows the Kenison family area. Grandma Kenison is in the lower right, the two children's graves next to her, and then our headstone behind Uncle Albert's on the left:

The other addition we had done while the stone was removed for engraving was to put the names of the five children of our parents on the back of the stone:

Earlier in the winter, I could see through the snow that the ground above the graves had settled very unevenly. I was grateful to see that it had been adjusted and smoothed out. As the grass grows in better this spring, it will look nice.


It was poignant today to remember the many visits I made with Mom over the years to the grave. The last time we came, she seemed disbelieving — "You mean I'm going to be put down there??" But now, it felt peaceful to me to have the stone in its place. I'm sure there will be many visits to this quiet place in years to come.

Oh, Happy Day!

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it…"
- Joseph Smith, TPJS 255

As I consider the happiness of my life as it relates to Sarah’s wedding, I can describe it in three phases.

A GLORIOUSLY HAPPY DAY

Today will surely rank among the very most joyful days of my life (so far!). It was absolutely marvelous in every way. We were blessed with wonderful weather (cooler but calm and clear). Everything went according to plan – there were no significant problems or mistakes. We were surrounded by family and friends. And there was a feeling of deep contentment, of shared joy, of eager anticipation for a bright and shining future.

The day began early with a hair-styling appointment, and Sarah transformed easily into Princess Sarah! She was even more beautiful than normal, though that’s hard to believe. We enjoyed our traditional special-occasion family breakfast of cinnamon rolls and omelets. We gathered everything together and reviewed our checklists as we loaded the car. I had the wonderful, sacred privilege of giving one last father’s blessing, and we were on our way to the Mount Timpanogos Temple.

We had arranged for an old friend of mine to perform the sealing. George Durrant was the stake president when I served as high councilor and then bishop at BYU, so we worked closely for about 4 years. Now that he’s retired and working in the temple, we were delighted to have him available to officiate at this event. In his warm and uniquely personal style, he gave Sarah and Brian counsel about their marriage, encouraging them to become each other’s heroes and to be supportive and united in spiritual growth. He mentioned that life will not always be easy, but that prayers for strength are one prayer that God always answers. He told them to build on the best of their shared traditions and find their own new ones. He said to honor covenants, return often to the temple, and create a home full of the Lord’s spirit. I love this dear man; he added to much to the sacred nature of why we were there.

The sealing ordinance itself is brief and powerful. I loved hearing the words today more than ever (except perhaps on my own wedding day). I loved the look of joy and total devotion on Sarah’s and Brian’s faces as they stared into each other’s eyes, and then kissed for the first time as husband and wife.

We have come to love Brian. We appreciate his devotion to Sarah, and the goodness of his heart and spirit. We are completely confident that he will devote himself to making her happy, to growing in unity and love and oneness. We absolutely could not ask for a better son-in-law; what joy that brings to us!

There was quite a crowd assembled to welcome the newlyweds as they exited the temple. Our photographer took some nice group shots, then most of the guests left for the luncheon while we took more photos of the couple. The day was so pretty, pleasant and not too hot; we were greatly blessed!

The luncheon (hosted by the Wrights) was held at Los Hermanos, the restaurant where Matt worked before his mission. There was wonderful food and enjoyment in socializing with extended family members (many of whom we are meeting for the first time). The food was delicious and we all enjoyed chatting.

As a part of the luncheon, when we were all introducing ourselves, I brought out my big surprise. I told Bonnie about this just as we arrived at Los; no one else knew it was coming. As the luncheon started, we went around the room and did introductions, and when it was my turn (very last), I said I had one more person to introduce. I had created a full-size cutout of Matt by enlarging a photograph and mounting it on foamboard. It was in two pieces for convenience, so while I put it together, I told everyone who Matt was (since most of those attending were Brian’s relatives). Then I stood him up in front of the group, had Sarah stand next to the cutout, and read a message to Sarah that Matt had written for the occasion. It was GREAT! It really was a highlight of the day. Everyone was thrilled. I cried the first time I read this note to Sarah when Matt sent it to me last week, but managed to hold it together when I read it at the luncheon. Sarah and Matt have had a wonderful closeness, and have been good for each other.

This was his message (in his wonderful personal style):

Sarah-
I want to quickly let you know that I’m proud of you. I’m proud you found a boy you love who you can spend the rest of your life with (and longer ;D). I also want to say thank you. thanks for always watching out for me. thanks for being my favorite sister. haha :D thanks for all the times you’ve helped me, in school (especially when i was a sophmore) on sundays or other days when there wasn’t a lot to do and you’d make cookies with me. thank you for everything you’re the best sister ever haha :D I love you so much. Brian you better take care of her she means a lot to me and to my family. she is a very special girl to me and i want the best for her. take care of her. let her know you love her haha :D i know you will. thanks everyone for everything you’re the greatest I love you :D
-elder kenison

The afternoon was a little more relaxing. Bonnie worked on setting up the reception center while I completed the "video" slideshow that was shown during the reception.

The reception at Sleepy Ridge was the capstone to the day. It was cool enough to be able to have the receiving line outdoors, and we enjoyed chatting with a steady stream of family and friends. The food (catered by Magleby's) was tasty and plentiful, the decorations were beautiful, the music was good, and everything worked out as planned. We loved every minute of it. I didn't get many photos of this time, since I was occupied otherwise — we'll have to wait for the formal photos to come out. But here are a few:

Sarah saw me shed quite a few tears today — during the sealing, the photo shoots, and the reception. I told Sarah as we danced that traditional "Daddy-daughter dance" that not one of the tears all day long was a tear of sadness or disappointment or regret. They were all tears of joy — every one! That's really how I felt today. I am so happy that my daughter is happy, and progressing in this wonderful new phase of her eternal life.

HAPPY 3 1/2 MONTHS

Bonnie and I totally enjoyed the period of preparation leading to today. When Sarah and Brian became engaged in April, the fun began. There were many, many details to attend to; but we like that kind of challenge. We made “to-do” lists and collected addresses. We designed the invitation and the decorations. We shopped for clothes and considered flowers and cakes. We took LOTS of photos, and enjoyed working with our photographer to take more. We selected a printer for the invitation, printed addresses on envelopes, stuffed and stamped and mailed. We “crashed” weddings at Sleepy Ridge to help us plan our own reception. We tried to anticipate problems and prepare in advance. We prayed for good weather, but made alternate plans. We worked around Sarah’s busy schedule (two summer jobs) and Brian’s sometimes conflicting schedule. We enjoyed getting to know the Wrights a little more.

All of this has been so fun! We have only one daughter, and we wanted to make the most of it! And I think we succeeded pretty well. Looking back now, we can’t think of many things we could have changed. We hope Sarah and Brian feel the same!

Sometimes, the anticipation of a thing is more joyous than the thing itself. I don’t think that was the case this time, but the anticipation and preparation were a joyful time for us regardless. We will miss having the event to look forward to!

HAPPY 21 YEARS

Looking back even further, our 21 years with Sarah have been pure and sweet joy all of the way. She joined our family quickly as a “honeymoon baby”, which turned out to be more of a blessing than we knew at the time, since she would be our only “biological” child. I was battling cancer while Bonnie was delivering, and so Sarah brought immense joy to us in the midst of those trials.

She was a bright and delightful child, full of inquisitiveness and eagerness. She memorized books and pretended to read them; she loved “helping” her Mom and playing with friends. Her twinkling blue eyes and bright smile were always a joy to behold. She became a wonderful, devoted “big sister” when Matt was adopted.

As she grew and matured, she showed intellectual sharpness and ability. Her grades were always top-notch. She would wake herself early in the mornings to study and prepare. She was eventually among the top of her high school class, and earned a full-tuition scholarship to BYU. Meanwhile, she was developing musical gifts, becoming proficient at piano, flute, and piccolo. And her social skills also grew and developed, as she found enjoyment and support in a wonderful group of friends. She was often sensitive and helpful to those around her who needed that support.

Even more important, she grew spiritually. She became aware and sensitive to spiritual things, learned to love the scriptures and the prophets, and found comfort in prayer. She earned her Young Womanhood recognition at a young age, and continued to follow the values she had learned in the process.

She was what every Daddy dreams for in his little girl – beautiful, faithful, obedient, cheerful, studious, helpful, loving.

Sarah and I had a little tradition when she was younger. We eventually collected 5 nicknames for her, and periodically I would ask her (picking one of the five nicknames at random), “Are you my princess?” giggle – “Yes.” “What else?” “Snugglebunny, goose, pumpkin, and prettiest girl in Utah!” I know she will continue to be all of those things for me.

On this day of joy, I consider myself among the most blessed of men to have a daughter like Sarah, and to be able to share her now with Brian. I love you, Princess!

Wedding Eve

The expected weather earlier in the week mostly has played out as hoped. Today was kind of a yucky day, though; it was still quite hot, but in addition was windy which stirred up quite a bit of dust. And then there was a wildfire to the north, so the air quality and visibility were awful. It would NOT have been a good day to take outdoor pictures! We're hoping for improvement tomorrow.

We did have a nice evening with family members who were in town, and the newlyweds-to-be. We made a large batch of barbecued ribs and enjoyed talking together. Here are some photos:



This one was taken by my niece Rachael, showing one of her gorgeous daughters being entertained by a dignified-looking man:


Well. the time has almost come! Tomorrow will be THE BIG DAY!

Final countdown

Lest any reader think the Kenisons' life lately has been all about eating, hiking, working, and all that other stuff mentioned in this blog — let me clarify. The major activity and concern through the past several weeks has definitely been wedding plans. Bonnie has done an amazing amount of work in planning or preparing decorations, facility layouts, flowers, cake, food, etc. I've worked on things like photos, music, and the guest book, as well as supporting Bonnie. We've both had LOTS of fun doing this; we wish we had more daughters so we could enjoy this again in the future! But since we have only one, we're trying to make the most of it.

Here's what our kitchen table looked like recently, as we prepared photos — and this is just the beginning:


We're down to the final five days! Or technically FOUR days from about now, I guess, until the wedding. We've been carefully watching the long-range weather forecasts for Friday. We want the sky to be blue but not too hot while we're taking photos. At the evening reception, we'd really like to have the receiving line outdoors — assuming it's not too hot and not rainy. The forecast this morning gives us hope, if it will hold out through the week; what a great break on Friday:


Finally, here's a "sneak preview" of my beautiful princess.


I have a hard time looking at these photos without getting teary! I asked Matt in our emails today how many hankies he thinks I will need on Friday. This was his response:

i'm guessing at least 6 hankies. well that depends are they big or small. if they're small then at least 12 hahaha just kidding. :D

"hahaha" indeed.

Go up to the mountains

I talked my sweet daughter into taking a little hike with me up Provo's Rock Canyon this morning. It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed the chance to chat about the wonderful upcoming events in her life.

We're continually astonished at the beauty we have within minutes of our homes here in Utah. This little canyon is a good example. The stream isn't flowing nearly as strongly as it did in the spring, but it's still some spectacular scenery.




We've had many wonderful experiences hiking and camping as a family, ever since Sarah was little. She rode in a child's backpack for a while, but she really was a "super hiker" (the label we gave her) before long. She's continued to enjoy that experience through the years, much to my delight. Her annual "girls' backpack" with a group of her friends is a great tradition that I hope can continue for many years.

This afternoon, we added to the sweetness of the day as we went together to another mountain — the mountain of the House of the Lord — the Mount Timpanogos Temple. Sarah received her endowment and we enjoyed the sweetness of being together with her in that sacred place. While Sarah was having her initial instruction, I was able to complete some initiatory work on some family file names, and then we joined together for the endowment. It was a busy day in the temple; there were six first endowments in our session, and we learned there were 35 weddings performed during the course of the day!! Wow!


We are very eager for Friday to come. I only used my handkerchief a little today, but expect to make up for it on Friday!