I am thankful for....

For the last 30 years one of our family traditions has been to ask each person at our Thanksgiving table to think of things for which they are thankful and then to write their list on a paper turkey feather.   We skipped a few years when we were traveling but still have an impressive number.  Some are written in Spanish, some in a small child's printing. From family and friends, short or long, all are  precious.

We have some fun ones from our little kids.  Like the year that little Johnny was thankful that '3+3=6'.  Or Scott's gratitude that Daddy was fat!  Matt was pretty consistent with being thankful for snow and snowboards and skateboards.  Mary was very eloquent in her gratitude for her family and their unconditional love.  Scott always expressed his love for horses and soccer.  John knew that he loved Monica 7 years before they were married.  

Among the most treasured are 3 from our parents.
 Grandpa Lewis, "I am thankful for the quiet calm of old age that gives me the chance to reflect on the undulations of life without the threat of recurring seasickness" 2001

 From my mother, "I am thankful for my wonderful family, my daughter, son-in-law and four 'great' grandchildren, for our happy times together, and our love for each other and our love for our God." 1993 

From George's Mom, "I am thankful for the gift of life, my testimony of Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, for loving parents, for my righteous husband, Walt, and four children and our daughters-in-law, lovely grandchildren, a good home, my kind neighbors and friends."

I love that this year we added Isabella who was thankful for her Mommy and Daddy, Grandma and Grandma, Uncles Matt and Scott, Mary and Baby Jackson, and for Isabella!

Now that I too am in the 'quiet calm of old age', I realize more than ever the things for which I am most grateful.  And I know that they are not 'things' but people!

Thanksgiving

I love everything about Thanksgiving! 

Setting the table with the the china my Daddy brought back from England in 1953 (the year I was born)and the handpainted dishes that my Great-great Aunt Blanche painted in 1921 for her brother, my great-grandfather S E Webster . 

Pies - this year cherry and  pumpkin

Homemade rolls that I didn't make myself - thanks John.  I think your rolls are a new Thanksgiving tradition!

And of course, sitting down at the table with some of the people I love the most. 

We missed Scott who had dinner with friends in Portland and Mark & Mary and their little guys who were celebrating with Mark's family. 

If I were to ask Bella her favorite things from dinner, I know what she'd say - Sparkling Cider and Whipped Cream!

 Seriously, don't you wish you could eat your pumpkin pie like this!

It was a very good day!

Angel's Landing

Last year Matt and his cousin Brent successfully did the hike to the top of Angel's Landing, one of the classic hikes in Zion National park.  I heard about the 'most stunning views you will ever experience' and decided that I did want to make the attempt to reach the top of Angel's Landing, even after I read descriptions like this:'This hike is not recommended for those who have a fear of heights. Angels Landing is a unique fin-like mountain formation that juts out to the center of the main canyon. The trail follows the narrow spine to the final viewpoint roughly 1500 feet above the canyon floor. This hike will take between 3-6 hours; your legs will burn, your knees may shake, and the view will take your breath away!'Here's another description: ' Angels Landing is an exposed hike along a narrow and precipitous rock formation. It is not recommended for small children or those with a fear of heights. Be polite, share the trail, and allow others to pass at safe spots.'Even though I had been planning on doing this hike for several month, I did have second thoughts because of my bad cold.  But when my sister-in-law Katherine said that she wanted to go on the hike, I decided that Yes I was going to do it too.  Having Katherine with me turned out to be a BIG plus.  We rested a lot and amused lots of people as we were definitely among the oldest people on the trail.  One fun guy called us ‘power hikers’…got a lot of good laughs at that one.  We said that we were going to get that printed on the back of our shirts.  

At first the trail follows the river and then does some long switchbacks.

After this part of the trail, you actually have a relatively flat hike until you come to 'Walter's Wiggles' which are a set of many compact switchbacks that takes the trail all the way up to the top of the ridge above Refrigerator Canyon.  A few more minutes and you are at Scout Lookout - a nice little viewpoint where you can get a good look at Angel's Landing and the main canyon below. 

Matt and Scott were way ahead of us since we rested for a minute at each switchback and also took lots of photos.  When the boys reached Scout Lookout and Scott saw the steep, exposed push to the top, he wisely decided that it wasn’t for him. He waited with Matt until we joined them and then hiked down and went for a horseback ride.  A much better choice for him since he inherited his Dad's feelings about heights!

This is the ridge you climb up to get to the top!

'The last half mile of the hike is what really ranks it as one of the nation's most dangerous and exhilarating. Angels Landing itself is a fin-like formation jutting 1,500 feet out of the canyon, and this is where you make the final 500-foot climb. You literally walk on the narrow spine of the mountain. Guardrails and chains bolted into the cliff help you keep from tumbling over the extremely steep ledge. You're literally living on the edge, and you don't want to trust the "angels" down there to catch you. There are many exposed sections where you can look down on both sides to the canyon below. All of the chains, guard-rails, and carved steps are provided to help ease the mind. And I guess they do!  There are also several areas suitable for resting if you want to pull over and catch your breath and let other people go by. If you have no mountain-climbing or exposed hiking experience, this hike can be quite intimidating. If you are overcome by panic at the first section of chains, do not continue any further. It doesn't get any better!'

I don't remember feeling any panic as we climbed but now that I look at the photos, I realize that there are parts that I have NO MEMORIES of whatsoever!  I must have just blocked out all the dangerous looking spots.  Because it was quite crowded, we didn't stop too often to take photos on the actual climb.  When I look at the photos on line, I just think WOW!  I can't believe I did this!

'After a fair amount of hiking and scrambling, you will make it up to the final viewpoint and all of the effort will be worth it; the view is simply stunning! Even though Angels Landing is significantly lower in elevation than the rims, you get an amazing 360-degree view that rivals any other viewpoint you will experience. If you have any snacks, this is the perfect place to relax and partake. But don't let the aggressively friendly chipmunks steal your sandwich!'

Here are a few photos from the internet to illustrate just how crazy of a hike this is. 

The 'most challenging part of the hike' definitely lived up to the name.  As the photos show, it was very exposed.  At some spots you could look down thousands of feet off either side of the pathway.  It was crowded which meant that there was a lot of waiting in line.  I was most thankful for the chains which gave me something to hang onto.

The views from the top are amazing! 

This is the spot that I don't remember at all on the way up. On the way down, Matt took photos of us.  I'm glad he did.

We talked to people from Belgium, the Netherlands,  Germany and all over the US.  Matt talked to some Spanish speaking people but didn’t ask which country they were from. 

 On the top 

Not bad for two 66 year old Grandmas! 

At the top the chipmunks were just as friendly/aggressive as we had been told.  They climbed on Katherine’s back, my backpack and ate out of our hands. It was so fun to see them grab a bite of granola and then go bury it.  It was on the way down that we noticed the signs that said, “$100 fine for feeding the wildlife.”.  Glad no one reported us! 

Even half way down the canyon the views are spectacular!

 I’m so glad I did it and so thankful for Matt. He was endlessly patient and helped us both through the hard parts by suggesting where to put our hands and feet. I don’t think I could have done it without him….in fact I wouldn’t have wanted to. 

And I’m thankful to have had this experience with Katherine too.  She really is the funniest person ever and such a wonderful buddy with whom to share adventures! 

John bought us shirts to proclaim our accomplishment to the world.  I think we earned them! 

That's Angel's Landing right in the middle of the photo.  Can you believe we hiked all the way up there?

Lewis Ranch

Last year when we had our Lewis Family meeting at Zion National Park, we attempted to hike down into a canyon that is part of the park so that we could stay on park land and get a look at the ranch that George's Dad once owned. Because of changes to the landscape, that was not successful.  We later learned that even if we had made it down to the canyon floor, the path is overgrown with vegetation and home to many rattlesnakes.  This year we knew that we needed to find an alternative!

Tammy's husband Richard did extensive research and talked to locals in Springdale trying to come up with a way to get the 4 Lewis siblings one last visit to their beloved ranch. Just a few days before the scheduled trip, he was successful in getting permission  and we learned that we would be allowed to follow an employee into the ranch and explore one location - the pioneer house at the ghost town of Shunesberg. George and his siblings were so happy to be back on the ranch.  So many memories of their parents here!  There were even a few tears.

This photo was taken looking back towards the old ranch house.  Unfortunately, the house was recently torn down. 

And this shot is the view they saw everyday from the ranch house.  

This photo looks up both canyons - Shune's Canyon to the right and Parunuweap Canyon to the left. 

George asked me to marry him on a hike up Shune's Canyon. 

Our whole group - Matt, Scott, Me, George, Karen, Richard, Tammy Katherine, and John 

The pioneer settlement of Shunesburg started in the 1862 and prospered for more than 30 years, in spite of Indian attacks and frequent floods.  By 1897 most of the inhabitants had moved to nearby Rockville.  The house was built by Alma Millet and his father Artemus Millet.  Artemus had been a stone mason on the Kirtland Temple - the 1st temple built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

So glad that we got to share this experience with our sons - Matt and Scott.  They were able to hear lots of stories about their Grandfather Walter Lewis and great uncle George K Lewis, who were both owners of the ranch.  The name that Uncle Georke (nickname for George K Lewis) gave to the ranch was, "Vivid Valley" and it is easy to see why.

We continued our theme of visiting old cemeteries with a visit to the Shunesburg or Shonesburg cemetery.

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

A few days after I returned from Kenya, we went to Zion National Park in Southern Utah for a Lewis family meeting.  I knew that Matt would be there with George, what I didn't know was that my 'boys' had hatched a surprise and Scott got to come too!  It was a terrific to have 3 of my handsome men on this little trip!

Matt, George, Scott

The scenery is stunning!

First stop on our Zion mini-vacation - the Ghost Town of Grafton, Utah.  It is on the road to Zion and I've always wanted to stop there but never have. Grafton's claim to fame is that is was the setting for the famous 'Raindrops keep falling on my head' scene in the classic movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'. 

 If you have seen it you will remember their visit to the school teacher and the fun bike ride with Butch and Etta. We were right there. If you haven't seen Butch Cassidy, please do.  Some call it the 'most likable film of all time.'

Can't you just hear, "Raindrops keep falling on my head!"

Naturally we had to visit the Grafton Cemetery.   Diphtheria, Indians, scarlet fever and a broken swing are the causes of death. Interesting start to our Zion weekend! 

Pay It Forward

The concept of "Pay It Forward" is one of the most beautiful things to witness when I am in Kenya.

I am sure you have all heard of this concept before. 

Pay it forward is an expression for describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying the kindness to others instead of to the original benefactor. 

Let me give you a few Kenyan examples.

During my first trip to Kenya in 2012, I met a young man who was volunteering at one of the primary schools.  The oldest of 8 children, his Dad had struggled to keep him in secondary school.  Amazingly Tsuma Jira had graduated and been invited to study at a university but with 7 other children at home his father had no way to pay his tuition.  In order to keep his brain sharp and keep learning, he was helping teach 8th graders.

I happened to notice him because he was wearing a Real Madrid shirt and I am a die-hard Barcelona fan.  We were soon 'discussing' the merits of our respective teams and the abilities of each player.  A friendship was born.

The first student we sponsored - Tsuma Jira - Read Madrid fan!

When the Kenyan Executive Director of Kenya Keys told me his story, George and I decided to sponsor him through the University.  I really wanted to keep it anonymous, but Rinda convinced me that the kids loved meeting their sponsors so I had the fun of going to his home and letting him and his family know that his dream of becoming a high school teacher, the first educated person in his large extended family, was going to come true!

This is the day that Tsuma learned of his Kenya Keys sponsorship. 
Lots of happy tears that day! 

Now Tsuma is a high school teacher doing pretty well for himself.  How is he paying it forward?  The oldest girl, the one who is standing by me, was married young to a elderly man who paid a substantial dowry for her.   Tsuma is determined that his twin sisters (the young girls on the other side of the photo) will not meet the same fate.  So he is sponsoring both of them to attend high school.  I got to meet them last month.  They remembered me and were so grateful that our sponsorship meant that now their brother could keep them in school.  Tsuma is paying it forward!

Tsuma's two sisters who are now students at Taru Secondary.

As I walked through the market one afternoon, two very friendly women called out to me.  Turns out that one is a retired teacher and how is she spending her time now?  She is tutoring young mothers who have no education at all and is teaching them to read and write.   When you can read and do simple math, you are much less likely to be taken advantage of. This isn't Kenya Keys sponsored but is a great example of paying it forward.  Someone helped her get an education and now she is helping others.

We hear many other examples but some ask that their contributions be kept private.  One formerly Kenya Keys sponsored university graduate now sponsors several students at the AIDS orphanage.  Another comes back to his former high school to mentor young boys and encourage them to stay in school, as someone once did for him. Recent secondary school graduates who are waiting to go to college or university, teach adults at the non-traditional learning class.