The Story of a Family Vacation - Europe 2012

Family vacations were an important part of my childhood.  We had a few traditions that grew over the years, and created many happy memories for us.  As my four sisters and I grew older and started to "go our separate ways" they naturally stopped; we went on to create our own memories and traditions with our new families.

I think our Mother felt the blessing and power of traditions as a unifying force.  In her later years, she had a new dream - she somehow came upon the idea of her five children and their spouses taking a vacation together, without the grandchildren.  I think she wanted us to stay close, to maintain good relationships with each other.  She occasionally suggested the idea of the shared "adults only" vacation, urging us to try to work something out.  She even offered to pay the expenses if we all did something like go on a cruise together!

Mom and her five children in Provo Canyon, July 2005

Total Eclipse of the Sun

I'm not usually a very impulsive person.  But I gave in to an impulse this week, and with agreement from my adventurous family, we had a very nice and unusual experience.

Solar eclipses don't occur all that often.  I remember a couple of times in my youth, seeing a partial eclipse.  And I vaguely recall being in a total eclipse once but don't recall any details.  So when the news reports this week started talking about an eclipse that would be total in southern Utah, I was intrigued.  And when they mentioned that the center line of the totality would pass right through Kanarraville, I was even more interested, for reasons that will be described shortly.

On Friday I made a quick trip up to the Planetarium in SLC to purchase the appropriate "solar viewers" that allowed us to look at the sun safely.  Not having a vehicle large enough for all of us, we rented a minivan at the cost of $140 (impulsive trips sometimes aren't cheap).  I arranged to miss some Sunday afternoon meetings without much problem.  And so, after attending our other morning meetings, we all packed up some fried chicken and other necessities that had been purchased the day before, and started the 3 1/2 hour drive down south.  It was fun to be together with our children and their little families.  It was nice to have Jenna along to continue to build that relationship.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

Bliss Part 3

A few days ago, I talked about my joy in enjoying fresh Utah peas, tomatoes, and peaches. Today, the third part of that succulent triad was realized as I purchased the first box of early peaches. They are called "early red haven" and are "cling" variety (as opposed to "freestone"). They are quite juicy but not as flavorful as later varieties. But when you've been on a 9-month famine, any fresh peach is a wonderful peach!

In years past, our family tradition was to have a peach milkshake at bedtime almost every night. That involves cutting up several peaches, placing them in the blender with vanilla ice cream, and then enjoying. We even had a special set of glasses that were reserved for our peach milkshakes. What a great tradition! However, it's also a high-calorie tradition. More recently, Bonnie has convinced me to go the "peach slushie" route, mixing the peaches with ice cubes and sugar substitute. You get almost the same flavor enjoyment, but at a fraction of the calories. (I confess to "cheating" once in a while and having an ice cream version when Bonnie isn't watching...)

I am convinced that peas, tomatoes, and peaches are among the signs of God's love for His children. I am grateful!

Timpanogos Hike

Today was Pioneer Day, and I had the day off work; Bonnie wasn't so lucky. So in honor of the pioneers, I got up early, strapped on my boots, grabbed my hiking poles, and headed for a trek in the mountains.

Not just any mountain, of course. My FAVORITE mountain — Mt. Timpanogos. I long ago lost count of how many times I have been to the summit (fiftyish?), or how many times I have hiked the various trails. I never tire of the spectacular scenery, the refreshing waterfalls, the beautiful wildflowers, the fresh mountain air. I love having the chance to return.

I'm anticipating another Timp hike with friends & relatives the day after Sarah's wedding (Saturday August 8), so I wasn't particularly motivated to go to the summit. This hike was mostly to help me get in shape, to check out the wildflower status, to look for mountain goats, and to play with my new camera. It was a very successful morning, with the exception of the goats, who were nowhere to be seen (unlike last year when I spent an hour roaming amid the herd near Emerald Lake — see photos here).

I hiked up the Timpanooke trail, across the basin and up to Emerald Lake, then back. It was about 15 miles according to my GPS, and I managed to take over 600 photos during that time. Here are two sets (it was hard to limit the selection). The first contains a few general views of the mountain, the hike, the waterfalls, and the vistas:



The second is all flowers; I had lots of fun with closeups. I think I've only once or twice seen more beautiful flowers on Timp than this year (perhaps because of the very rainy spring season). Many of the best flowers were below the basin, so I'm hoping they are still peaking at the higher altitudes and we might have an even better show in a couple of weeks. This was REALLY hard to limit; here are a few of the very best:



If someone really likes flowers and wants to see a larger set of my 78 favorites (including the 22 very favorites shown above) click here.

Bliss Part 2

I live for three things each summer:

1. Peas
2. Tomatoes
3. Peaches

They come in that order, as the season progresses. Each holds a place in my heart, and brings its own deep satisfaction. Peas come early and are the "firstfruits" of an early garden planting; but their season is relatively short. Tomatoes come next, and last the duration of the summer until some time past the first frost (with care and planning). Then sweet juicy peaches, in their several varieties, and all the goodness of milkshakes, smoothies, desserts, ice cream, etc.

Of course, each of these can be preserved in some ways, and each can be obtained "out of season" thanks to our modern system of national and international supply. But there is nothing that can compare with the fresh homegrown Utah variety, just off the plant or vine or tree.

This week, I was thrilled to enter phase 2 of my summer bliss, as we began harvesting tomatoes from the garden in earnest. I know that for the next three or four months, I'll be "popping" the sweet candy-like cherry tomatoes, enjoying sandwiches with thick slices of meaty fruit, relishing the cucumber/tomato salads, and so on.

Early peaches should be coming soon. Then my summer bliss with be into high gear.

End of an era, start of an era

When my employment was transferred to BYU about 7 or 8 years ago, I was given an office with most of the rest of the engineers in the IT group in a building located just west of campus on University Avenue and about 1300 North. We knew the building as "B-77" — not a very warm or inspiring name, but that was appropriate for the building. Originally, the campus of Utah Technical College (known as "Trade Tech" in my youth) was here. I remember going there for things like merit badge classes and traffic school.

When UTC outgrew their facilities and moved to western Orem (becoming Utah Valley Community College, Utah Valley State College, and eventually Utah Valley University), BYU purchased the Provo campus. The buildings were used for a number of things through the years; when I started working on the first floor, they were still teaching home economics classes (cooking, sewing, etc.) upstairs, and they still had a preschool as part of the main floor.

The building was old and had lots of issues. But office space at BYU was at a premium and OIT (the Office of Information Technology) didn't have any other options. So we made do, hoping through the years for a better facility. That dream eventually became a reality with the construction of the new Information Technology Building (ITB) which we began to occupy at the start of this summer. It's been very nice to be in new, up-to-date facilities with much more comfort and flexibility. (This photo shows the exterior work mostly completed; the interior is further along. The landscaping and parking will be the last to finish.) The new building is just to the west of the old one, in what used to be the parking lot.

Today, with somewhat mixed emotions, we watched the demolition of the old B-77 building, making space (eventually) for a parking lot for all of us now occupying the new building. It was quite a scene from our viewpoint in the ITB, with Y Mountain and the upper campus in the background. A large backhoe tore through the roof, walls, floors, and ceilings, gradually reducing the structure to a pile of rubble. We watched them moved methodically from north to south, knowing who used to occupy each room that took its turn disappearing into memories. Quite a sight!

I'm sure those who have longer memories than I do of this place (back to its UTC days) are feeling much more nostalgia than I am.

Moon day plus 40 years

Today was the 40th anniversary of the day man first walked on the moon. I have vivid memories of that Sunday evening, July 20, 1969. I was 12 years old, and went to a friend's home to watch the events. (It was not a particularly close friend - not sure how I ended up there. I think they were in our ward. I remember two sons, David and Dale Johnson.)

The black and white video was extremely grainy and the audio scratchy, but there was no denying the historic import of what was taking place. We didn't see images as clear as these at the time (the higher-resolution stuff was not able to be transmitted live) — but they convey the emotions that we experienced. This first one shows the moon landing module (Eagle) detaching from the command module (Columbia) and starting the descent, with the earth rising (setting?) over the moon in the background.

There was a lot of drama during the descent; computer errors being reported, fuel gauges running low (they eventually landed with less than a minute of fuel to spare), Neil Armstrong having to land the craft manually. There was discussion of how critical it was to land level; if they came down on a boulder or the side of a crater, they might not be able to lift off again. They didn't know how far they would sink into the dust. Lots of uncertainty — pretty high drama!

They did finally land safely in spite of all those issues ("Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."). I recall the excitement when they decided to prepare right away to exit the vehicle; the original schedule had a rest period first, but there was too much excitement for sleep. That worked great for American TV viewers. It was about 9 p.m. in Utah when the first footstep on the moon was taken. ("That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.")


As I see these photos now, the Eagle looks so tiny and primitive. It's astonishing that men could travel a quarter of a million miles through space, then trust their fate to a little craft like that, to not only get them safely to the moon's surface, but then back to the command module!

What a miraculous event this was. Through my youth, we witnessed five more lunar landings plus the aborted Apollo 13 mission. There was a great deal of "American pride" in having beaten the Russians in the moon race.

The last moon landing happened in 1972. Since then, no human has left low earth orbit.

Grilled Zucchini

In the ongoing series of "Zucchini Appreciation and Consumption" during the peak zucchini harvest months of summer, this is another family favorite recipe. It works well for all kinds of fresh vegetables. The key is the delicious sauce, and then having a grilling basket to put the vegetables in the barbecue grill and be able to easily flip them over. They get a nice crisp texture and slightly smoky flavor that is delicious.

Grilled Mixed Vegetables

2 T brown sugar

1 1/2 t basil

1 1/2 t garlic salt

1/2 t Season-All Seasoned salt

1/8 t ground red pepper (cayenne pepper)

Sliced ripe vegetables such as zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, squash, potatoes, onion, asparagus, etc.

(Siggestion: mix the above spices in larger quantities and keep it in a tupperware container for quick use.)

Put vegetables in a ziploc bag, drizzle with olive oil. Shake until well coated. Sprinkle sugar/seasonings on vegetables and shake to distribute; grill about 10 minutes.

Here are some photos of the process:


That's a nice pork loin cooking next to the zucchini in the last photo - YUM.

Happy anniversary!

Bonnie and I have been married 22 years as of today. It's been a wonderful beginning! We have pondered much about the way time has passed, and marvel at the thought that we are already at this phase of our lives together. With Sarah getting married in only three weeks, and Matt well-established on his mission in Chile, we are well into the "empty nest" phase.

The thing that seems somehow surprising to us is that we spent only 22 years in that child-rearing phase. Somehow, that seems way too short. We expect and hope to have much more than that in the rest of our earthly relationship together; and while we already miss the chance to have influence on our children, we are eager for all that's ahead. In the words of the old toast:

“If it's half as good as the half we've known,
here's Hail! to the rest of the road.”

We celebrated this weekend by taking a hike at the Heber Valley Camp, along the Eagle Loop — a relatively new area where we've never hiked before. We have enjoyed the outdoors as a significant part of our marriage, and the HVC has been "near and dear" for the past several years as well. This was a delightful way to spend an afternoon. Here are a few photos:


We spent the evening in a delightful little bed & breakfast in Midway called the "Invited Inn" which is near some of the large resorts but much more intimate and friendly. We were very pleased with these accommodations, and are eager to return in the winter.


For our Friday evening celebration, we enjoyed an incredible seafood buffet at the nearby Zermatt Resort. Good food, and especially seafood, also has many memories in our relationship, so this was particularly nice. Our diets were forgotten as we enjoyed an incredible variety of delicious selections.


I love you, sweetheart, and can't wait for the next 22 years, and all those that will follow those, into eternity!

Walter David Kenison

Today would have been my father's 90th birthday. He was killed in a farm accident when he was 45; so the years since his birth in primitive Talmage, Utah have been split on both sides of the veil. I have often missed him through the years, wishing I could have known him better, wishing he could have taught me and helped me and guided me. I look forward to that opportunity to get reacquainted some day in the future.

Here are a few of my favorite photos of my Dad. The first was taken as he left on his honeymoon in October 1952:


This shows him in a particularly "manly" outfit. I love the message it conveys, of a man willing to help in the house:


This, however, is a more familiar appearance — hard at work.


This is a great profile shot, with my Mom and two older sisters:


Probably the only "formal" portrait we have:


Finally, the newspaper articles about his death:


He is buried in Payson; I try to go there when I can.

Happy muffin day!

Having a few minutes to spare this evening, and being eager to make good use of the garden produce that is starting to become abundant, I pulled out a favorite old recipe and made some "whole wheat zucchini honey muffins." I found a recipe along these lines a few years ago, and modified it during a few attempts to fit my liking. I discovered that I really like them with fresh-ground wheat flour - using the coarse setting on the grinder. I really look forward to zucchini season so I can appreciate this opportunity!

Honey Zucchini Muffins

3 c. whole wheat flour (about 2 1/4 c wheat before grinding)
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 T ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. grated zucchini
1 1/3 c. honey
2/3 c. oil
2 tsp vanilla

Mix until moistened. Spoon into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes. Yield: 24 muffins

Here are some photos, first of the batter:


And now the finished product:

Saturday hikes

A number of years ago, we helped Sarah start a tradition of an overnight backpack trip with her girlfriends. We went along the first few years, but recently they've preferred to go on their own — they are old enough and confident to take care of most problems. They usually only hike in a few miles — just enough to feel they've gotten off the beaten track. They pitch a tent and make their dinner, enjoy a campfire where permitted, and crowd into a tent to chatter away and enjoy each other's company. It's a nice tradition.

My assignment is to find good destinations for them that fit those criteria. So I scouted out a couple of options for her this morning and afternoon, in expectation of next weekend's hike. Sarah often comes with me on these "scout-out" hikes, but today she's still recovering from a bout with flu and didn't quite have the energy today. So I went alone and took lots of photos.

The first hike was a close one — just up the Battle Creek canyon above Pleasant Grove. It's only 10 minutes from our home, and is a delightful little canyon. The first portion, up to a very nice double waterfall, is pleasant and gentle. The trail gets somewhat steeper after that; unfortunately, it's pretty high up before there are some nice campsite areas. So probably a little too far for Sarah's group.



After checking in at home, I tried the second option. I had vague memories of a hike during my scout days to a place called Red Lake, up the mountain from Maple Bench in Payson Canyon. Not having maps or detailed descriptions, I hoped to find directions where I expected the trailhead to be. So I drove to Payson Canyon (ah, so many sweet memories!) and started searching. I eventually found a trail which seemed to head the direction I wanted to go, and followed it to the lake (just under 2 miles away). Unfortunately, the lake has "gone downhill" since my childhood, and was more of a swampy marsh. But it was a delightful hike, nonetheless.



One of the highlights of the hikes was to be able to view an incredible array of wildflowers. Even at this lower altitude, they were present in abundance and glorious variety. I think the unusually wet spring we had was a wonderful gift this year. Now, I need to get up into some higher elevations to see what it looks like there!

Uncertainty, Certainty

Two experiences this week have given me great cause for thought.

UNCERTAINTY: Early Thursday morning, I was returning from the gym when I received a phone call from a bishop about a member of our stake who had passed away. I was close to the neighborhood, and seeing the police cars, stopped to talk with the family. This wonderful brother was 56 years old and lived with his parents. He had a number of physical challenges, and had never married; but was wonderful and faithful in every way. Earlier this spring, he was one of a few brethren the stake presidency recommended be ordained high priests, and he was sustained just last month in our Stake Priesthood meeting. He served as a temple worker, contributed in various stake and ward callings, and was a kind and gentle man. He apparently passed away last evening while mowing the lawn. Since no one else was home until later in the evening, they didn't discover his body until early this morning. His mother was pretty stunned when she went out to the back yard at 6:30 and found him. But they are wonderful, faithful Saints and have great hope and confidence in the Great Plan of Happiness. They know that all is well; they mourn his loss, but they know he has "fought the good fight" and they will learn to move on.

I was reminded how uncertain this life is; no one of us knows if today is our day. No matter our age, no matter our physical condition — we hope to live to a "ripe old age" but there are no guarantees. Today might be the day for any one of us to move on!

CERTAINTY: Then on Friday, we learned the stunning news that a brother who has taught many of our youth in the Orem High seminary had been arrested and was being charged with having a several-month, ongoing sexual relationship with one of the 16-year-old girls at the school where he is now teaching. He had been a dynamic and much-loved teacher at our school before transferring; no one can imagine him behaving like this. Many of the youth are in shock over the situation, and heartbroken about the consequences. It's been hard for some of them to understand and accept, but they've done well in supporting each other. I watched conversations like this on Facebook:

I don't know what to think about it. I still love and respect him.

Always will. He changed many of our lives.

I'm saddened by recent news, not sure what to believe or think. I can only pray for all those involved.

I considered him a spiritual giant. He touched so many people's lives. He was always there to counsel and help those who needed it most. We all loved him then and we all need to love him now, more than ever. Satan works hardest on those that strive the hardest to be good.

Pray for Brother Xxxxx and his family! And for the girl and her family!

While our youth were stunned, they have reacted with compassion and forgiveness. And they've felt the stern reminder of the need to "cling" to the rod.

I was reminded how certain it is that we will all be tempted, that the adversary is strong and subtle and persuasive, and that the battle will continue to rage! No one is exempt; no one is safe. We all need to be vigilant and all need to fortify ourselves spiritually in every way we can.