COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT

It was just one yer ago this week that Sharon was diagnosed with leukemia and what a year it has been. We as a family look back on this year with no regrets. We to a person would say that is has been one of, if not the best year of our lives. As we gathered as a family a year ago, we petitioned our Heavenly Father that we be given a chance to fight and fight we did. We left absolutely nothing on the table and reached out and took advantage of everything medical science had to offer. We didn't ultimately win the fight for life, but we won in so many other ways. During this year relationships were strengthened, lessons were taught and learned, and preparations were made that will enable us to move forward. Most of all we gained strength as a family that we never knew that we had. We found out how important friends and friendships are and how you can gain strength from the thoughts and prayers of others.
We are deeply grateful for all of you that have trod this path with us and for all you do every day to make us better individuals. We hope that you have learned and grown from the experiences that we have shared with you. Our wife, mother, nana and friend was a wonderful strong and talented woman and taught us all what it means to have "Courage," Heart," and a "Brain," and to understand that there is "No Place Like Home." Her legacy will live on in the lives of her children and grandchildren and we hope that you will follow them through their blogs and perhaps and occasional post here by Ricky and me. If you need a little "Sharon Fix," we hope you will come back and look at some pictures and read the wonderful tributes give by her children.
The last weekend of her life we spent enjoying General Conference together and sitting at the feet of Prophets and being taught what we should do with our lives. It seemed like every talk was directed at us, but two talks struck both of us as being particularly relevant to where we were in our lives. Elder Joseph Wirthlin spoke of the advice of his mother when she told him; "Come What May and Love It." As we have gone through this past year the principles that he taught have been a big part of our being able to move forward and face our challenges. The four principles are:

• Learn to Laugh
• Seek for the Eternal
• Understand the Principle of Compensation
• Trust in the Father and the Son

Every day during that last week when anything would happen Sharon would remind me and continues to remind me still; "Come What May and Love It."

I encourage you to read this talk and enjoy the lessons learned as much as we have; www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-9,00.html

Jeff spoke in his talk of Hope and Hope is certainly what sustains us as we go forward with our lives. President Uchtdorf gives some real insight in his talk; "The Infinite Power of Hope" which I believe will benefit us all; www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-7,00.html

As we conclude this chapter of our lives, I would like to leave with you two scriptures. The first from the Prophet Ether in the Book of Mormon in Ether Chapter 12; "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with a surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." This scripture is what brings us peace and assurance of what lies ahead as we go forward with our lives. And the last scripture is Sharon's favorite and the way she led her life. It comes from the Doctrine and Covenants Section 6; "Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not....be faithful, keep my commandments and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven." It is this knowledge and this Hope that allows us to "MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

REMEMBERING SHARON PART4

It's hard to believe that Sharon passed away one month ago today. Although she is gone, as Shalaine said we know that she is with us and helping us to move forward with our lives. We all continue to be amazed at the love and support that we are getting from all of you. I am reminded of the quote that Greg put on the white board at the City of Hope when we went for the bone marrow transplant. "In the depths of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincable summer." (Albert Dumas) Every day I understand this more as "WE MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

Below is Jeff's talk from Sharons Funeral. It is a perfect statement of our understanding and belief as a family. I hope you enjoy it.

HOPE

Throughout history man has voiced the questions, “Where did I come from?” “Why am I here?” and “Where am I going?” Ever since I can remember I have known the answers to these questions. My mother taught them to me. As I have grown I have come to know that what she taught me is true. I now know these things, independent of any other person.

The answers to these questions are firmly rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Prophets have called it the plan of salvation and “the great plan of happiness”. Through inspiration we can understand this plan of eternity and use it to guide our path in mortality.

The gospel teaches us that we are the spirit children of heavenly parents. Before our mortal birth we had “a pre-existent, spiritual personality, as the sons and daughters of the Eternal Father”. We were placed here on earth to progress toward our destiny of eternal life. These truths give us a unique perspective and different values to guide our decisions from those who doubt the existence of God and believe that life is the result of random processes.

Our understanding of life begins with a council in heaven. There the spirit children of God were taught his eternal plan for their destiny. We had progressed as far as we could without a physical body and an experience in mortality. To realize a fullness of joy, we had to prove our willingness to keep the commandments of God in a circumstance where we had no memory of what preceded our mortal birth.

In the course of mortality, we would become subject to death, and we would be soiled by sin. To reclaim us from death and sin, our Heavenly Father’s plan provided us a Savior, whose atonement would redeem all from death and pay the price necessary for all to be cleansed from sin on the conditions he prescribed.

Satan had his own plan. He proposed to save all the spirit children of God, assuring that result by removing their power to choose and thus eliminating the possibility of sin. When Satan’s plan was rejected, he and the spirits who followed him opposed the Father’s plan and were cast out.

All mortals who have been born on this earth chose the Father’s plan and fought for it. Many of us also made covenants with the Father concerning what we would do in mortality. In ways that have not been revealed, our actions in the spirit world influence us in mortality.

Although Satan and his followers have lost their opportunity to have a physical body, they are permitted to use their spirit powers to try to frustrate God’s plan. This provides the opposition necessary to test how mortals will use their freedom to choose. Satan’s most strenuous opposition is directed at whatever is most important to the Father’s plan. Satan seeks to discredit the Savior and divine authority, to nullify the effects of the Atonement, to counterfeit revelation, to lead people away from the truth and to contradict individual accountability. He desires all to be “miserable like unto himself”. He would have us loose our faith in our Fathers plan and destroy our hope in Jesus Christ, the Savior of all Mankind.

The loss of my mother has been the most painful experience in my life. While there have been trying and tragic events in my past this has pained my soul deeply.

Since the time my mother was diagnosed with leukemia last November it has been a roller coaster ride of emotions for us as a family. While we were experiencing the highs and lows of this journey there was always hope. I always hoped for something better, a brighter day, for my mom. It was hope that pushed us forward, caused us to take action and move forward with faith.

Alma describes this perfectly when he exclaimed, “And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

The word hope is sometimes misunderstood. In our everyday language, the word often has a hint of uncertainty. For example, we may say that we hope for a change in the weather or a visit from a friend. In the language of the gospel, however, the word hope is sure, unwavering, and active. The prophet Moroni taught, "Whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men…" (Ether 12:4).

As I was with my mother this past Sunday afternoon and witnessed her passing from this life into the next, it seemed to me that all hope was lost. The despair was overwhelming. My wife, Jennifer, and I have spoken in quiet times since about this.

As the minutes have inched past since Sunday afternoon, I have reached for hope and have realized that it has never left me. My hope and faith is the “anchor to my soul.”

Our ultimate hope must be anchored to the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.”

An understanding of that objective should help us approach the future with faith instead of fear, with a more excellent hope in place of despair.

Samuel Smiles wrote: “ ‘Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.’ … Hope sweetens the memory of experiences well loved. It tempers our troubles to our growth and our strength. It befriends us in dark hours, excites us in bright ones. It lends promise to the future and purpose to the past. It turns discouragement to determination.”


A modern day apostle, listed among my mother’s favorites, if not the favorite, was Neal A. Maxwell. She loved the way he spoke and enjoyed the books he wrote. It seemed as if after every general conference she would say to me, “did you hear Elder Maxwell’s talk, wasn’t it great…I can hardly wait to read and study it when it is published, so hopefully I can understand it.”

Elder Maxwell is not only related to my mother thru her mothers line but he also endured a battle with leukemia, which took his life in 2004.

In closing, I quote Elder Maxwell on the plan of salvation…the great plan of happiness:

“Life turns out, however, to be just what one would expect of a deliberately constructed proving and tutoring experience which features opportunities, choices, and deprivations. Furthermore, there is no way around—the only way to go is through!

And what a “through” it is!

Hence, brothers and sisters, for the faithful, our finest hours are sometimes during or just following our darkest hours.

It is an incredible irony, therefore, that some complainingly attempt to use the very tutoring process of the Lord against Him. Or resent the reality that we are to walk by faith during this mortal experience.

Furthermore, since this life is such a brief experience, there must be regular exit routes. Some easy. Some hard. Some sudden. Others lingering. Therefore, we cannot presume, even by faith, to block all these exits, all the time, and for all people. Nor, if possessed of full, eternal perspective, would we desire so to do.

Since certain recollections are withheld, we do not now see the end from the beginning. But God does. Meanwhile, we are in what might be called “the murky middle.” Therein, however, we can still truly know that God loves us, individually and perfectly, even though we cannot always explain the meaning of all things happening to us or around us. (See 1 Ne. 11:17.) With an understanding of God’s plan of salvation, we know that the rejoicing, the striving, the suffering, the tutoring, and the enduring experiences of life all play their part in an intelligible process of helping us, if we will, to become, as the Savior beckoningly invited, “even as I am.” (3 Ne. 27:27.) Hence, in submitting knowingly and meekly to this plan, we cannot say to the Lord that we are willing to surrender but only on our terms. There are no conditions in unconditional surrender! The plan always points the way, but does not always smooth the way…

And why not? It is God’s plan—not ours! And, given the unimpressive outcomes of man’s plans to solve the world’s problems, aren’t we glad! Furthermore, of all the things about which we might converse, as Jacob wrote, “Why not speak of the atonement of Christ?” (Jacob 4:12.) Why not, brothers and sisters? This event arches over all of human history, as a Redeeming God and Savior Son pressed onward with the great plan of happiness. Yes, in the plan, God would have us be happy…”


I testify that the things I have spoken of today are true. I also testify that the priesthood and all priesthood keys, have been restored, to the earth, in this the last dispensation of the fullness of times; namely the sealing keys that were restored to the prophet Joseph Smith by Elijah in the Kirtland Temple. These same sealing keys have sealed and bound us together as a family for eternity. I am forever grateful to a loving Heavenly Father for blessing his children by restoring the priesthood to the earth, enabling families to be together forever, never to be divided. This is my hope.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

REMEMBERING SHARON PART 3

It's hard to believe it's already been a month since mom passed away. In some ways it feels like longer and in many other ways I feel like she is still here with us. I guess she is. I had the privilege of being one of the speakers at my mom's funeral and sharing with her family and friends my thoughts, memories, and lessons learned from this wonderful and special woman. Mom and I were the best of friends. And while it is difficult for me to know that I can't have her physical presence with me any longer I'm so grateful for the knowledge that in some ways I can have my friend still with me all the time. The first song we picked for her slideshow was "Angels Among Us". We picked this because mom LOVED this song. When I was younger and this song first came out she recorded it over and over on a tape that she would blast throughout the house every morning for hours on end. Classic Sharon. And now I wonder, how did she know? How did she know how fitting this song would be and how much the words would come to mean to all of us later? She was an angel throughout her life and continues to be one now- helping each one of us as we "move forward with faith". 
Here is my talk from the funeral-

My Mom

How do you capture the essence of someone in 5-10 minutes who was truly larger than life? The biggest challenge with this talk was not on deciding WHAT to say, but editing it down to what not to say. And for those of you who knew Sharon, you know that she wasn’t big on editing. I’ve never known someone so comfortable in their own skin. She was 100% herself 100% of the time. “Inside voice” was not a term she was familiar with.
If I could pick a phrase to summarize my mom it would be “Go BIG or go home”. Sharon did nothing on the small scale. She didn’t send out a Christmas card to close friends once in awhile, she handmade intricate carefully crafted Valentines each and every year to be sent to an ever growing list of over 250 families. She never just showed up to teach a class or give a talk, she spent hours planning, cutting, gluing, and coloring hundreds of handouts to help drive her message home. If she found a shirt she liked, she bought it in every color. If she was the primary chorister on Halloween, she dressed up as Count Dracula and had the children pick a song from numbered pockets sewn inside her black cape. Every holiday, mom dyed the milk a coordinating color- green milk on St. Patrick’s Day, red milk at Christmas, and black milk on Halloween. And words cannot describe the spectacle that was Christmas decorating in the Hendrickson home. Huge swaths of gold lame hung from the ceiling with glass stars hanging between a hundred bears wearing angel costumes that she hand sewed. Mom never giggled or smiled. She roared, cackled, and beamed. And most of all, mom didn’t just dabble in the gospel, she immersed herself in it. She poured over the scriptures, spent hours in a quiet dark place praying to her Heavenly Father, and knew beyond doubt that Jesus was her savior, brother, and friend.
The prophet Joseph Smith once said “men know rightly the characteristics of God…if we don’t understand him, we don’t understand ourselves.” I believe the reason my mom was so confident and comfortable, was because of how well she knew her Heavenly Father.
Sharon’s testimony was unshakeable. It was a testimony bought at the high price of trial, hardship, and tribulation. But to know her, you would never know that. Because she was always smiling, always laughing, and always filled with joy. She understood that the world had much to offer in the way of easy thrills and chills, but true and everlasting joy came only from living the gospel. And in true mom fashion, she didn’t just live it, she embraced and embodied it.
Everyone loved to be around mom because of this joy that radiated from her. She was fun, vivacious, full of life, and maybe just a little bit crazy. Mom’s greatest joy was in her family and she wanted nothing more than for them to be together. She often talked seriously about her plans for “The Hendrickson Compound”. But even bigger than this was her dream to have a Circus Family. To her, this would be the ultimate. To travel around as a family from town to town working together, playing together, and making people laugh together.
Mom had a saying for everything and most of them described just how she was. Some of my favorites are “Only boring people get bored”, “Be unbugable”, “NOYB”, and of course “Hendrickson’s Never Say Can’t”. Most of these were sayings were also accompanied by a little song and dance. But the phrase she would often say that had the biggest impact on me was “Bad things DON”T happen to Good people”. I learned from mom that hard things happen to good people, difficult things happen to good people, heart-breaking and devastating trials happen to good people, but when are heart is in the right place and we turn our lives over to the Lord, bad things will not happen. For he has promised that when we do what he says, ALL things will work for our GOOD. Mom knew this and mom lived this.
She never asked why. Why is this so difficult, why did I have this child, why have I been given cancer? She only asked what. What would you have me do Lord and what can I learn? Many of you may know that for over 20 years she has been writing a book about her life and experiences with her family and most of all her youngest son, Ricky. Her philosophy for life is best described in the title of this book: “From Trapped to Freedom- Your Choice”. Mom made no excuses. She made no apologies. You never found her complaining or murmering. She just did. Her knee-jerk reaction was to say “yes” and figure out a way to do it later. She knew she had a choice. She knew she was the author of her destiny. And the tale she chose to tell was one of perseverence, sacrifice, service and overwhelming joy.
While mom lived large, she also appreciated the small. She saw the beauty and worth in everyone. When she was younger she used to go around to construction sites near her home and hammer out the knots in the wood. These knots she would take home and carefully sand, buff and then paint with clear nail polish to bring out their individuality in design and texture. Nothing was more beautiful to her than this collection of knots. One day she brought them to school for show and tell. When her teacher saw her collection he laughed at her. He told her that it was a ridiculous and stupid collection. While most children’s response would be embarrassment and hurt, mom felt nothing but sadness. Sadness for this man that he could not see the beauty in these simple unique knots of wood.
Mom had a knack for making everyone she came in contact with feel special and beautiful. She saw and loved the individuality in each of us and through her teachings, example and love, helped sand us, polish us, and make us shine. She saw the worth in us that we often didn’t see in our selves. “For men know rightly the characteristics of God…if we don’t understand him, we don’t understand ourselves.” Mom could see the beauty and worth in us because she knew herself and she knew her God. She lived life big and has now returned to her Heavenly Father. And you know exactly what she would say… “There’s no place like home.”

REMEMBERING SHARON PART 2

Thank you for all your kind responses and wonderful cards and notes. We as a family are having a wonderful time remembering too. We hope you enjoy the slides, if you want to view the entire slideshow click on "VIEW ALL IMAGES" and when you get to the link click on SLIDESHOW in the upper right hand cornor, and enjoy some wonderful memories of this incredible woman (no bias here!). As for the rest of us we are doing well, Greg and family and Stephanie and family will be returning to their homes on the weekend. We are greatful for our knowledge of "God's Plan of Happiness" and we continue to "MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

Jon's Talk is included Below.

MOM

William Shakespeare once wrote: All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players:They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.

The first stage in my life began before I was born. Mom and the doctors truly believed I was going to be a girl. Mom already had 2 sons and was excited to get her first beautiful girl. I can only imagine her shocking and open-mouthed expression when Dad welcomed their 3rd son into the world. Naturally, this didn’t stop Mom. She grew my hair out, put it in pony tails, and gave me dolls to play with. Most of you are probably saying to yourselves, “That explains everything.”

As I grew a few years older, I put away the dolls and thankfully moved onto sports. The 2nd stage I remember is the soccer stage. My older brothers both played on the Milwaukee Kicks and I could hardly wait until I was old enough. Finally I was and became part of the team. I remember one year after we had moved to California playing in a Regional playoff game. It was intense and the winner would play in the Rose Bowl. Our team unfortunately lost in double overtime and as we made our way to the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of my dad running after the referees red-faced and ready to do damage; however, true to form, Mom was able to chase him down and stop him before he would do something he would later regret. This would become Mom’s calling card. She always was there to stop any of us before we made a bad decision or do something we would later regret.

Which brings me to the teen-age years: 3rd stage. All 3 boys were in high school at the same time which brought its own set of challenges. Mom, however, was at almost every game and every play. She got up with my dad every morning before seminary to feed us breakfast and read from the scriptures. My dad loved to cook bacon and eggs and my mom loved to let him. I learned to read and love the scriptures but most importantly, I learned the lesson of sacrifice. My mom loved to sleep so I knew that her presence at the breakfast table at 5:30 in the morning was a huge sacrifice for her. She always put herself last and everyone else’s needs first. Even last Saturday, as she lay in the hospital bed suffering, she suddenly turned to me and asked, How I was doing? This typified my mom’s entire life.

The 4th stage was my missionary years. My mom loved the Lord and knew what service meant. In every calling she received from Relief Society President to Seminary Teacher to Primary Chorister, she magnified it and trusted in the Lord and therefore became the best “fill in the blank” there ever was. Because of this, she knew that there wasn’t anything better I could be doing than dedicating 2 years of my life to serve the people of the Canary Islands. All four sons served missions and I’m sure she was sad to see them go knowing that 2 years would indeed be a long time; however, the lesson that she instilled in us was the same as King Benjamin when he declared, “When you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your Lord.”

The 5th stage was my first years of marriage. I student taught at Laguna Hills High School and Mom and Dad were gracious enough to open their home to us. We lived there that year with our newborn baby girl, Jamie who is now almost 12 years old. I learned a lot that year as a young father as Mom would not only give me advice about marriage and sacrifice but show me through example what being an eternal partner and parent was all about. Many days I would catch her with Jamie on her lap reading to her one of her favorite books: I’ll Love You Forever. I truly believe that the mother in that book was indeed my mother as she: “Held her new granddaughter and very slowly rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held her, she sang:
I'll love you forever,I'll like you for always,As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.
I can say with 100% accuracy that Mom never broke that promise.
The 6th stage was Nana Camp. One week long every year where Nana invited all the grandkids to her home and entertained them for a week. This was my kids’ favorite week in the whole year. It wasn’t just a babysitting week. It was full of activities from sunup to sundown. My mom had an endless supply of energy. To this day, I have no idea where she found the reserves. As I kid, I never remember her telling me she was too tired to play a game with me or read me a book or sing me a song. And she displayed this energy for the grandkids all week long. She put on costumes, taught them crafts, was the dolphin the pool, taught the kids how to swim, and of course at night would lay with them and watch movies. We told my dad that it would now have to become Paga Camp and he almost fainted on the spot because he saw first-hand how much effort Mom would put into that week.
The 7th stage was this past year. Like the Lion in the Wizard of Oz, Mom displayed courage that I have never seen. Even in pain and suffering, Mom would brighten up the room and be on center stage. I never heard her complain one time knowing that Heavenly Father had a plan and trusted in Him. All of us were able to have a lot of time with her one-on-one this past year and those times were precious. My wife said it best when she remarked after having her own time with her, “Mom saw the best in everyone and knew their potential and through words and actions, helped each and everyone one of us see and realize that potential.” That was a great gift my mom had. She made you feel like you were the best person in the world. She made you feel special.
One of Mom’s favorite movies is Shawshank Redemption. Hope is the central theme throughout that movie. Hope was the central theme throughout Mom’s life. Just like Tim Robbins in the movie, Mom always made the best out of every situation that was thrown her way. She had hope that with the right attitude, things could and would get better. This hope grew into faith and ultimately into knowledge. She knew where she came from, why she was here, and where she was going. At the end of the movie, after learning this same valuable lesson of hope, Morgan Freeman says, “I hope I can cross the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it is in my dreams. I hope.”
Just like Mom, my hope has also become knowledge and therefore I know there is no end to this strange eventful history. There is no last or ultimate stage. Shakespeare got it wrong.
I know I will cross the veil. I know I will see my mom and hug her tight. I know that heaven will be as beautiful as it is in my dreams. I know.
And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ….Amen

REMEMBERING SHARON

We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who has been so thoughtful, gracious and attentive since the passing of Sharon. We were so pleased by the number of you who took time from your busy lives to attend her viewing and funeral it was indeed a beautiful tribute to her outstanding life. We have been overwhelmed by the number of cards, calls and emails. We are so thankful at this time for all of you and your support as we transition to the next phase of our lives. Yes, we are sad and we will miss her, but we are happy that she is out of pain and in a far better place catching up I'm sure with family and friends. Our challenge is to live our lives to be worthy of her. To that end, "WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."
For those of you who were not at the funeral, we thought you might enjoy reading the tributes to Sharon given by her children. We will do that over the next couple of weeks.
The first will be the talk given by Greg.

Mom’s Funeral Talk

GM brothers and sisters.
I am grateful that my father and siblings have granted me the great honor of eulogizing mom – a clear recognition that I am my mother’s favorite.
I am grateful for the beautiful picture of my mom that graces her casket. When I saw it I said “That’s my mom!” So much energy, so much life and her radiance, the pure light that emanates from her, was always her greatest quality. That light is the light of Christ, it is the spark of fun, it is the flame of love. She brought this light to everything she did with the spaunk of a cougarette and the creativity of a theater and art major. It was a contagious enthusiasm – highly infectious and quickly spread. “And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, . . . fills the immensity of space” It’s no wonder that she loved the Wizard of Oz. She helped us see that for every gray scale Kansas in our lives just beyond the rainbow were Technicolor possibilities.
There is so much to express about my mother - most of which words can not tell and only the heart can comprehend. I would like to focus on her greatest passions family, fun and faith. So intertwined are these three to her that they are inseparable in a narrative of who my mom is.
My mother loved the family she was born into. She had two brothers that she adored all her life and a sister she always sought to understand. Her father provided her with a foundation of unwavering faith and her mother with an example of compassion and service. As she began her own family she brought with her this priceless dowry.
Mom was a tremendous helpmeet and the perfect complement to my father. She was never uncomfortable in any circumstance, whether it be in the presence of Presidents or the world’s poor. My father found himself in many leadership positions throughout their married life. Dad may have been in the front but it was mom that pulled the oars.
Mom is incredibly committed to her children. I felt that Elder Nelson in April conference rightly summarized her parenting philosophy. He said “Do not control your children. Instead, listen to them, help them to learn the gospel, inspire them and lead them toward eternal life. You are God’s agents in the care of children he has entrusted to you. Let His divine influence remain in your hearts as you teach and persuade.” My mom raised some of the best people I know. She did not shield us from life’s numerous challenges – she had every confidence that we would meet them and beat them. She wrote songs that she would regularly sing to us. Hendrickson’s never say can’t, for can’t is not our word, can’t is simply absurd” or “I make a difference, I make a difference, I am the one, I am the key.” To remind me of my potential she would often sing to me “Any little boy can be President.” I believed it of myself and so did she.
She had an active commitment to being a part of the lives of her grandchildren. She sought every opportunity to spend time with them when they were around. When she called, my children would eagerly wait for their time to talk to Nana on the phone. She attended births and blessings and baptisms. In the summers there was Nana Camp, where Nana conducted a multi-day sleepover extravaganza – complete with regalia, activities and grandmotherly teaching and expressions of love. After a grandchild turned 8 they attended general conference in Salt Lake with Nana and Paga. Nana knew the power of being in the presence of a prophet of God and wanted each of her grandchildren to feel and experience that power. My children regularly get out their conference binders nana made for their conference trips and recall with fondness this great coming of age experience.
Mom is a monkey – that’s our family mascot. Monkeys are nimble, work together, and always seem to be having good time – that’s us. She and my father’s direct progeny include a troop of 22 monkeys, including 6 children and 14 grandchildren. She will stand in the eternities as a mother to Hendrickson monkeys greater than the sands of the sea and vaster than the stars of the sky. Are you ready for that! In our last few days together we read from the Fabric of the Cosmos about the immensity of the universe, and the possibility of universes upon universes and we marveled at the endless nature of the promise of posterity the matched that grandeur. And for mom endless posterity means joy without end.
Mom exemplified our family motto “Bound with Honor.” Mom and I are big fans of the Bard. To give her greater courage while she was going through her transplant at the City of Hope we watched Henry the V together –we especially love Henry’s speech before the Saint Crispin Day battle.
By Jove, I am not covetous for goldNor care I who doth feed upon my cost;It yerns me not if men my garments wear;Such outward things dwell not in my desires.But if it be a sin to covet honour,I am the most offending soul alive.
Mom did not seek the honor of men but the honor of God. She trusted the Lord when he said “I, the Lord, delight to honor those who cserve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. 6 Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory. . . . and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.” She kept her covenants, and encouraged those in covenant relationships with her to do the same. She made sure that clothing, totes, jewelry, and other sundries she gave to children and grandchildren bear the reminder that we are bound with eternal ties which now require only our lives honorable action to be realized.
Mom had a deep need to express the truths she understood. The challenge was, that the truths she knows best are those of the heart, which must be conveyed to the heart to be comprehended. While tremendously talented in conveying truth with creativity and power as a speaker (as can be attested to by any of her 7 years of seminary students – of which I am one) she longed to be able to express those same truths with the same creativity and power in writing. She took semesters of writing classes while I was in high school and spent hundreds of hours working on a book manuscript. Condensed, all her efforts were published as a short article in the Ensign. A rich and powerful piece about how one comprehends in times of pain and sorrow that the lives we live here frame our eternal possibilities.
I love my mom. She is my mentor, my friend and my cheerleader. I believe that I have done nothing so important in my life than to stand with others at my mom’s bed side and exercise the priesthood on her behalf. I have known few joys greater then to sit for hours by her bedside over the past year – just she and I – talking of things great and small. We read books of grand adventures in foreign lands and the simple life on a farm. She did her best to pass along what she learned at the BMW driving school and what she learned in the temple. We talked of our love and friendship and faith.
I am my mother’s son. I share in her passions, her talents and her faith, but she bought me with more than my birth. There were times when a boy, desperate and alone had lost his way. She searched for me and, in loving agony of spirit, found me and saved me. When I try to grasp the depths of the atonement of Jesus Christ I can only begin to comprehend it in the personage of my mom and her unremitting, unconditional love, devotion and service. She, more than any other, has represented the hands of the Lord in my life.
I can say, as John Quincy Adams did of his mom, “My mother was a minister of blessing to all human beings within her sphere of action. . . . She had no feelings but of kindness and beneficence. Yet her mind was as firm as her temper was mild and gentle. She. . . has been to me more than a mother. She has been a spirit from above watching over me for good, and contributing by mere consciousness of her existence, to the comfort of my life. . . . Never have I known another human being, the perpetual object of whose life, was so unremittingly to do good.”
My mother – I love you. Your physical presence will be greatly missed. Mother – Good night, good night, parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it is morrow. That glorious morrow of eternal reunion. Which I hope I am worthy of, in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Sharon Hendrickson

Sharon Summerhays Hendrickson of Rancho Mirage CA passed away on October 12, 2008 in Rancho Mirage at the age of 62 after a long battle with leukemia. She was born January 19, 1946 in Pasadena CA to Richard S. and Miriam Maxwell Summerhays. She attended Pasadena Schools and graduated from Pasadena High School. She attended Brigham Young University and graduated from there in 1968. While at Brigham Young she met Blaine E Hendrickson whom she married on September 7, 1965 in The Latter-day Saint Temple in Los Angeles, CA. Sharon and Blaine moved to Rancho Mirage in 1998 after living most of their married life in Laguna Hills, CA. Sharon was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She will be remembered for her vibrant enthusiastic personality, her warm smile, her great laugh, and her committed service. She was a wonderful wife, mother and “nana”.
She is survived by her loving husband of 43 years Blaine E Hendrickson of Rancho Mirage, CA, 4 sons, Jeffery (Jennifer) of San Clemente, CA., Gregory (Becky) of Kealakekua, HI, Jonathan (Lou Ann) of Laguna Beach CA, and Richard of Rancho Mirage CA, 2 daughters, Stephanie (Eric) McClellan of Redlands CA and Shalaine (Cort) Green of Rancho Mirage, CA. She also leaves behind 14 wonderful grandchildren and 2 brothers and 1 sister.
Services will be held on Friday October 17, 2008 at 11:00 AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel located at 72-960 Park View Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260. The Family will welcome friends and relatives on Thursday October 16 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM and from 9:30 to 10:30 AM on the 17that the same location. Dedication of the grave will occur at Desert Memorial Park at 2:30 PM. In lieu of flowers the family has requested donations be made to the Orange County/Inland Empire Chapter of the Make a Wish Foundation.

2 Timothy 4:7

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

We wanted to publicly thank all of you for your prayers, your fasts, your strength, and your testimonies. You have lifted us in our time of need. You have buoyed our spirits and helped us:

"Move forward with faith."

Mom, we will miss you every day, every hour, every moment. Your energy, your love, your friendship, and your pure love of Christ is unparalleled. Because of you, we will try a little harder, laugh a little louder, and love a little longer. That is your legacy. That is our inheritance.

Your family and friends will always remember your cackling laugh, your abounding love, and your utter joy of living.

Smile everyone. Our mom wouldn't want it any other way!

(note: In lieu of flowers, Sharon would like you to donate that money to her favorite charity "Make a Wish Foundation" You can view their website at http://www.wishoc.org/. If you do decide to donate, please make your pledge the the Orange County Inland Empire chapter. Thank you. We will also let everyone know either through the blog, email, or phone when the services will be. The date will most likely be at the end of this week on either Friday or Saturday here in Rancho Mirage at the LDS chapel on Monterey).

In the Arms of the Savior

I am sad to report that Mom is in the hospital. She was having trouble walking towards the end of this week and had a few falls. We also noticed she was quite swollen and didn't seem to be eliminating very much. She saw her Doctor on Thursday and he explained that due to poor nutrition and the amount of lasix she was on, her body was eliminating the fluid from her blood but it was going into her legs and lungs instead of through the kidneys. At that time he thought she was still okay to be at home and advised us to help her eat more and drink more fluids.
On Friday she started to become quite confused and was still not eliminating very much fluid from her body. We noticed she was having many of the same issues she had a year ago and feared that her kidneys were struggling. We decided to take her to the hospital and see if we could help her kidneys before they failed. She is under the close treatment of a kidney doctor and he is trying several things to get her kidneys functioning properly. Sadly, these treatments do not seem to be helping and our Mom is slipping from us quickly. In a few moments of lucidity yesterday morning we told her it was okay if she was done fighting, but in true mom fashion she said no...she still had fight in her and that she was strong. Even under the worst situations she lives up to her mantra of Never Saying Can't. He body has been greatly weakened over the past year and we don't know if her strong will can overcome a failing body. We know that the Saviors arms are around her and faithfully trust that whatever the Lord's will is, is what is best for all of us.
Thank you for your continued faith and prayers in her behalf. We know how much she has touched other's lives and pray that in your darkest moments you will trust in the Lord and move forward with faith.

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN

Sharon was able to come home from the hospital on Saturday morning. In fact we were home in time to watch the morning session of General Conference, which in itself was something of a miracle. If you've ever tried to get out of hospital you will know what I am talking about. We were able to enjoy all sessions of conference which was pretty good considering the cable went out for a good part of the day around the valley. Thank you for having both cable and satellite. We were very inspired by the conference especially President Ucthdorf's talk on Hope. As to our health issues, they took an additional 700cc of fluid off of her right side making a total of 2100cc's from both sides. She is able to breathe more comfortably, but her left lung still has not expanded back. We are hopeful that by being home and moving around more and doing breathing exercises that we can get it to come back. That is pretty important if we are to get her off oxygen. She completed the round of dacogon and received 3 units of blood and a unit of platelets which should be good for a while. The white count has remained in the mid 40's not down much but more important not up. She has started on a small dose of the oral chemo drug, Hydrea, to hopefully jump start a trend down for the white count. She still has quite a cough and we're hopeful that it is helping to open up her lungs, otherwise it is very irritating. She is quite the trooper and continues to push forward without complaint. We are really looking forward to the week ahead, being back home and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our 14th grandchild which is scheduled for Wednesday. The family continues to grow which makes us appreciate how blessed we are. We look forward to the miracles that lie ahead and as always "WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

IT'S UPHILL AGAIN!

Today Sharon was admitted back into the Hospital. Pushing Lasix failed to accomplish what we needed and so we had to admit her in order to have the fluid removed. Also over the past week she has developed a new cough that has caused her a lot of sleepless nights and so this will also be an opportunity to check everything out and make sure our treatment plan is the right one. While she is there they will also give her her next round of Dacogen since her white counts are headed in the wrong direction again. The condition with her lungs is called an Pleural Effusion, which is the collection of fluid in the Pleural Cavity that prevents the lungs from expanding. Today they did a Pleuralcentesis or the removal of fluid from the left side. They removed about a liter and a half of fluid. Tomorrow they will remove the fluid from the right side. She was doing pretty good tonight but was in some pain. Hopefully that will go away quickly. The doctor is hopeful that removing the fluid will eliminate the shortness of breath that she is having and enable us to get off the oxygen. We are all for that! We hope that this is a short stay and she will be home by the end of the week or before. She is hanging in there and as always "WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH." We love you all and thank you for your continued faith and prayers.

ENJOY THE FLAT WATER

As we wrap up another week it has been one of pretty much holding our own. Sharon's white count finished the week at 8.6, about the same level as the prior week. She had a chest x-ray on Tuesday that pretty much told us the same things as the cat scan. The pneumonia is pretty much cleared up but there is a large amount of fluid still remaining. We're not really sure whether the increased lasix is helping, but we do know it has not resolved the problem. She is doing pretty well over all, but still lacks any kind of stamina or strength. We will continue the current course through next week and then begin Dacogen treatments again on the 29th. Also on the 29th we meet with the Doctor and will decide whether or not we need to move forward with having the fluid removed if it is not gone. We were pleased that Sharon was able to attend the marriage of Dale and Eileen's son Doug in the Los Angeles temple last Saturday. It was a beautiful service and we were very glad to be there. It was a long but wonderfully fulfilling day for Sharon.
We like all of you continue to pray for miracles to occur. We remain optimistic and "CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

DOWN HILL RUN!!

I'm sure that you all have been frantically checking your emails wondering why I haven't made a post in forever. As if that's all you do with your time. I have been waiting for the results of a Cat-Scan that was done last week so I would have something interesting to say. Well, finally I have got some results and so here goes. The scan showed that the lungs were fairly clear, with no abscess as they had previously thought. There is a lot of fluid still in them which is causing her shortness of breath. We had a couple of options to deal with the problem and took the one least dangerous. They have increased the amount of lazix that she is taking to see if that will get off the extra fluid. If that doesn't work then she will have to go into the hospital and they will remove the fluid with a syringe into the lungs. Because of her low platelet count that presents some risk, but worth taking, because we must resolve the pneumonia in order to move forward.
She completed another round of Dacogen on Friday and her white count is responding nicely. It was up around 23 and is now back down to 11. The doctor said this is better than he anticipated and so that is great news. She is feeling good but weak and is short of breath, but we are having fewer fevers and she is sleeping much better at night. Goes to show that "E" ticket rides run down hill as well as up, and we certainly appreciate that. Yesterday we celebrated 43 years of wonderful marriage and hope you all put our 50th celebration on your calendar for 2015. As always, "WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

"E TICKET RIDE"

I think Sharon's love of high adventure is catching up with us. She always loves to live on the edge and so it is with our current adventure. After 2 weeks of good news, we figured you would be getting bored and so we needed to inject a little drama into your lives. As reported earlier when the white count fell to 5 the doctor took her off all of her chemotherapy drugs in hopes it would stay down and we wouldn't need platelets and blood quite so often. Great thought, but so far not going as well as we would have hoped. In the past week the white count has gone up to 16. We're still hoping it will slow down and stabilize in the 20's, which would make the Dr. happy. As for the pneumonia it is about the same, but she is having trouble sleeping at night because of coughing. We haven't figured that one out yet, but hope to get a pulmonologist referral when we see the doctor tomorrow. Quite honestly, I am looking for a little boredom, I am not sure my aging heart can take the continuing "E" ride. In fact when I had a choice I always stayed off those guys anyway. We do however "CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

WE'RE ON A ROLL!!

It's time for our weekly update. We have had a good week. Sharon's white count continues to come down. On Thursday it was at 6.4 and today at 5.1. The Doctor is encouraged by this and has taken her off of the oral chemotherapy. This is good because it should help her mouth and throat to clear up which is currently her biggest downer. During the week we have been able to back off on the amount of oxygen that she needs and we have now cut it from 6 liters to 3 1/2 liters. The doctor said that her lungs were much clearer and so it would appear that the pneumonia is subsiding. She is sleeping well at night which is really good. We are now starting to work on building her strength back up. Maybe all this good news is because she is so absorbed in the Olympics that she forgets about her ailments, but whatever the reason we are really encouraged and looking forward to more good news in future reports.
We appreciate all of your cards and comments and especially your prayers and "WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

DOWN GO THE MEAN OLD CELLS!!!

This past week was a relly busy one for us. On Monday our white count was at 44.3 and so the Doctor felt that we should begin our second round of Dacogen as well as continuing on the oral Chemotherapy drug Hydrea. Dacogen means a trip to the Doctors office to receive about 1 1/2 hours of treatment every day for the week. That usually works out to about 2 1/2 to 3 hours away from home. In addition to that we required platelets on Tuesday and Thursday, add 2 to 3 hours each day and then on Friday 2 units of blood, another 6 hours. Needless to say by Friday she was really wiped out and very weak. The pneumonia continues but we seem to be holding our own with that. Occasionally she will have a bad night due to coughing, but we seem to be moving forward a bit. She has had fewer fevers and her oxygen saturation has improved. The really exciting news is that her white blood count is in a free fall. On Thursday it was down to 27.1 and today down to 10.1, and so we are really encouraged by that. We are hopeful that this will be and easier week and that she will be able to rest well and begin to build back some strength. She will then hopefully be able to fight off the pneumonia. All in all we are very encouraged by the results and know that it is because of all of your faith and prayers. As for us, "WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

Mighty Max

Hi everyone. I know, I know, you all want the latest update on my mom...sorry this isn't it. I just wanted to let everyone know that Max has joined the wide world of blogging. If you want to check him out he is at http://www.mightymaxandthemcclellans.blogspot.com/. Yeah, it's a mouthful, but everything else I tried was taken. Hope you enjoy!

A BIT OF GOOD NEWS!!!

We went to the Doctors on Monday and unfortunately Sharon's White Count was continuing to rise which presents a real concern for everyone. We spent a lot of time discussing options with Dr. Dreisbach and determined to take a conservative course. He placed her on a pill form of chemotherapy called Hydrea. She is taking an average dose with the intent that it will slow down the rising white count or even reduce it so that we can do another round of dacogen to see if it will knock down the leukemia. We went back to the Dr. again yesterday and it seems to be working. Her white count was at the same level as on Monday with only 2 days on the new drug. We are encouraged as is the Dr. Her Pneumonia seems to being doing a bit better as well. We have been able to back off to 5 liters of oxygen at times and she is sleeping much better at night. It doesn't hurt that she is getting frequent visits from kids and grand kids the real healers for her.

We thought we should share even a little of morsel of good news as it happens, since we haven't offered much of late. We continue to be optimistic and to "MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

I GUESS WE NEED SOME MORE!!!

I have come under some heat for failing to post, mostly from my adoring patient, who is taking most of my time these days. When I last wrote we had been admitted to the hospital with Pneumonia. Sharon was well cared for during the week by Greg and Stephanie while I took the youth of the ward to Lake Powell for a youth conference/super activity. This was a leap of faith for us all, but we felt good that the Lord would look after things for the week. Sharon had a couple of scary days, but began to feel better toward the end of the week although the x-rays still showed a lot of pneumonia. The first of this last week, she and I began to scheme as to how we could get her home and finally convinced all the doctors to let her come home on Wednesday night so she was able to have a great couple of days with Greg and his family before they had to return to Hawaii on Saturday. She did however come home on 6 liters of oxygen, 3 IV antibiotics and 4-6 respiratory treatments a day. Boy are my skills ever getting up there, soon I will be challenging the RN Boards for my license. We still struggle with the pneumonia although she seems to be feeling better. Our next little obstacle is her white count which continues to climb. On Thursday it was up to 37 which is not good. On Monday we are meeting with the Doctors to see where we might go from here. We have a real dilemma in that we probably need more aggressive chemotherapy, but with the pneumonia we're not sure if she can handle it health wise. We continue to look for some sort of miracle to take us to the next step.

We are continually grateful for your faith and prayers and need them more than ever. As for us, "WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

A very quick update for everyone is in order. We have completed our first week of Chemotherapy. The week went pretty much without incident until Friday. Friday we had a big day scheduled. We had to be at the infusion center at 8:00 in the morning to receive 2 units of blood which takes about 4 hours to deliver. We were then scheduled to receive Chemo at 1:00. While they were giving her her Chemo, they noticed that she had a couple of black eyes and so ran labs and immediately sent us back to the infusion center for platelets. We finished up the platelets about 5:30 and when they checked her temperature she was running a fever of about 100 degrees and so we had to wait and see if it went down or if it was a platelet reaction. By 6:30 it was down to 99 and so they called the Doctor and he OK ed us to go home if we would carefully monitor her temperature through the night and if it went up would go to the hospital. She did pretty good with it hovering between 99 and 100 but when she woke up at 6;30 the fever was up to 102.3. I called the Doctor and he sent us to the ER where they ran blood tests and took x-rays and determined that she had pneumonia in her left lung and so she is now back in Eisenhower receiving heavy doses of antibiotics to try and knock down the pneumonia. As of this evening she is doing pretty good. They are able to keep the fever in check and she continues to receive about 4 different antibiotics. Her spirits are good and she continues to fight. Hopefully we will be able to get things under control and get her back home before the end of the week.
We continue to believe that we will ultimately whip this stuff and be able to move forward with our lives. As always we appreciate all of your faith and prayers and "CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

A NEW BEGINNING

Yesterday was a new beginning in our war against Leukemia. We began 5 days of Chemotherapy. Sharon is receiving a drug call Dacogen, which we received just before we were admitted for our first bone marrow transplant. She receives it as an outpatient basis at her doctors office here in the desert. It takes about an hour and a half to deliver. After the 5 days we will wait 3 weeks and then have another bone marrow test to see if the cancer is being slowed down or put into remission. We can then repeat that process two our three times and if we get below 20% Leukemic cells she will qualify for another transplant. There is also some possibility that the Dacogen could stimulate the donor cells that she has to become more active and create a GVH that could attack the cancer cells and get the original transplant back on track. That possibility is small but could happen. We go in twice a week for lab tests which usually trigger the need for platelets, blood or both. Yesterday we had to have platelets. Sharon's spirits remain high and she is confident that she can beat this stuff. She is really an example of how "Hendricksons never say can't." Greg and his family will be coming on Saturday for a short stay and a week at Aviara. Sharon plans on spending the week with them while I take the youth to Lake Powell for a week of Fun and Youth Conference. Shalaine and Cort will be joining me with the youth.
We continue to appreciate all of your kind notes and especially your faith and prayers and as always "WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

HE NEVER SAID IT WOULD BE EASY......

Our Friday began very well. We met with the Orthopedic Dr. at 8:00 AM and after reviewing our MRI he told us that the damaged area of Sharon's hips was very small and would most likely heal itself over the next several months. That made for a very happy drive to the City of Hope for the rest of our appointments. Our euphoria was not to last. Dr. Stein, our oncologist delivered the devastating news that Sharon's bone marrow biopsy showed that her cancer had relapsed and that we had about 16% Leukemic cells. Not something that we wanted to hear at all. We then pursued our options and they appear to be this. We will begin Chemotherapy again on July 8 on an outpatient basis. That will last for one week and then we will wait for three weeks and have another bone marrow test. If we can get the cancer back into remission we will then have a second bone marrow transplant. We have had to deal with a lot as we've processed this news, certainly we had hoped for a much different result. The path ahead will not be easy but we know that with the help of the Savior and with the combined faith and prayers of our family and our many friends that it will be possible.
Greg pointed out a very appropriate scripture in the Book of Mormon. In Mosiah Alma and his people are being subjected to hardship from the Lamanites. In Chapter 24 verse 14 the Lord responds to the silent prayers of the people by promising them that "I will ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." In verse 15 it says that "And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alama and his bretheren were made light; yea the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord." Then when delivered from bondage (in verse 21) it says "they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God."
We as a family know of a surety that The Lord does visit His people in their afflictions and that only He, the Lord, can deliver us. We are committed to cheerfully and patiently "MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAGA!!!

Just wanted to say Happy Birthday dad! We love you so much and appreciate all you do for us. Thanks for being an awesome example to all these little grandkiddies!!

As the norm, Luke tends to shy away from group photos...so here's a cute one of you and him!

And the 2 newbies......Axel and Max!!

WE LOVE YOU PAGA!

TREADING WATER

I have heard some comments about people checking the blog and finding no new updates. I guess I have been remiss because this week we have pretty much been treading water. We have an appointment tomorrow at the City of Hope and they will do another Bone Marrow Biopsy to determine whether we were able to get rid of the abnormal cells by taking Sharon off all of her imune-supprescent drugs. The results will take at least one week to get back from the lab. On Friday we will have an orthopedic consult to see where we go as far as the avascular necrosis is concerned. On Sunday Sharon was able to attend Sacrament Meeting for the first time in several months. She was excited to be there and really appreciated the warm reception of our ward family.

This is a critical week in our recovery process. We approach with faith in our Heavenly Father and a knowledge that with all of your faith and prayers we can beat this challenge. We love and appreciate you all and continue "TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

FRIDAY THE 13TH

Never ones to be superstitious we gave no thought to going to the clinic on Friday the 13th to celebrate our 100th day post transplant. Little did we know! This was not the best day in our trek to recovery. Sharon has had some pain in her hips that has made walking difficult. On Monday they took x-rays and today did an MRI. The diagnosis Avascular Necrosis, a deterioration of the top of the Femur at the Hip Joint, brought on by taking Prednisone to stop the Graft vs Host disease. The eventual outcome will probably have to be hip replacement,but we will know more after an orthopedic consultation. That was not the end of the bad news for the day. They finally got the results of the Chromosome tests and they showed that there was one abnormal female cell among the cells tested. The concern here is relapse and so they have taken her off the immune suppressant drugs in hopes that the donor cells will attack and kill the abnormal ones. The problem with that is it increases the possibility of more GVH. Oh well, darned if you do, darned if you don't. Of course this not the news we hoped for and we were pretty devastated. But as we reflect on the faith and prayers that have brought us this far, we can only have the faith that the Lord will continue to work miracles in our lives. We will have another bone marrow in two weeks and we will then know more of where we're going.

Again we thank you for your faith and prayers and want you to know that we "CONTINUE TO WALK FORWARD IN FAITH."

The picture is the Pasadena Stake Center where Sharon attended church as a child and young woman. It was built by her father when he was Bishop of the East Pasadena Ward. The building held its last services as an LDS chapel two weeks ago. There are now no chapels in the city of Pasadena.

MORE GOOD NEWS

Last Friday the Doctor decided to do a bone marrow biopsy since we are approaching our 100 day mark. Yesterday we got the partial results. The bone marrow shows no Leukaemia cells and still 100% donor cells. Of course we are very excited and delighted that we are about one third of the way through our first year with no relapse. They are still somewhat concerned about the slowness of the graft and gave her a shot of Nupregen to boost her white count and try and nudge things along. They won't have all the tests back for another week, especially those that determine her chromosome counts. This will tell more regarding the graft. We are still on schedule to be home on Fathers Day. We appreciate all your faith and prayers and continue to "MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

The picture is of our home in Monrovia where we lived from 1970-72 Greg was born while we were there.

Faith in the Cure

I am out to prove that Hendrickson's truly never say can't! I've decided to train for a half marathon benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I know what is going on in most of your heads...you are checking to see if it is really Stephanie writing this post. It is true, the women who disdains exercise is taking on this challenge. It has given me a feeling of doing something to help find a cure. We have already experienced many of the advancements for treating this disease and I hope that through generous donations that we can get even close to wiping Leukemia off the map!
My personal goal is to raise $2100 by August 31, 2008. With your donation you will not only be supporting my participation in the marathon, but you will help advance the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's mission to FIND A CURE! 75% of all funds raised goes directly into research, education, and patient services.

The easiest way to donate is to go to my web site and Enter the amount you wish to donate. Click “Donate Now!” and you will receive an e-mail confirmation and tax receipt. Just click on the web address to access my site: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ocie/lbintl08/smcclellan

Thank you all in advance for your support. If you have any questions regarding donations or the Society, or if you just want to lend some support, you can always reach me via e-mail (shendro4@aol.com) or by phone (909-335-0982).

MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING

Thanks to everyone for your faith and prayers in our behalf this past week. Because of you miracles are indeed beginning to happen. As bleak as my post of last week was, this week is one of hope and optimism. I guess that is the crazy nature of this roller coaster ride we are on. Never one to miss a chance to shout out the good, here we go for this week. Our meeting with the Doctor resulted in all good news. The Gancyclovir is doing it's job, lab tests are now negative for CMV. No platelets or blood were needed and the white blood count has gone from 2.1 to 3.3. The Dr. had planned on doing a bone marrow biopsy but said it wasn't necessary at this time, he would wait until nearer our 100 days. We even were given permission to have a salad, WOW! Mom loved the salad and although still not feeling great is pleased to celebrate the moment. We are far from out of the woods, but are now moving in the right direction once again. Keep those prayers flying heavenward and with the miracle continuing, we'll be home for Fathers Day. We love you all and continue to "MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH".

3800 Fairmeade Road Pasadena, Sharons address from 1956-1965 when I stole her from her mom.

Thanks Pops

Last night Pops and I went to Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals and watched the Lakers beat up on the poor OLD Spurs. We sat right behind Jack, down the row from Flea, and 2 rows in front of Ashey Olsen. It was a great game. Thanks Pops for the invite. Here are some pics from the night. I posted a bunch of stuff on the greenbeans blog too that you should check out.


Veteran leadership.


"Hey Ref...how much you got on this game?"


This is the unfortunate part of playing basketball...having your hand in a sweaty eurpoean's armpit. Hopefully Gasol isn't ticklish.


Because of my wife's affinity for dancing shows, I actually knew who these guys were and was excited to see them live. Go Jabawakeez.


Poor Duncun. So Old, and so tired, and so far behind.

IT'S TIME FOR A MIRACLE

This has been a challenging week for us. Sharon contracted a sinus infection and so has been a bit under the weather. She was started on antibiotics and it seems to be clearing up. She also has been unusually weak and light headed and just simply doesn't have any get up and go. The Dr. has been concerned with some of her lab tests and tonight called and put her on an anti-viral medication, Gancyclovir, which is given to prevent CMV Disease. It will be given IV twice a day for the next 7 days and then they will reevaluate her condition. Her White Blood Count has been heading in the wrong direction as well. On Thursday it was down to 2.1. All of this is raising the level of concern of Dr. Stein and on Thursday he talked with us of the potential failure of our Graft and the possibility of a second bone marrow transplant. He went so far as to say an unrelated donor has been located and is on hold for a possible transplant. Of course we have been devastated and trying to get our arms around the possibilities. After much prayer we feel it is time to ask in faith for a miracle to occur (Moroni 7:26). We need the original graft to take hold and her counts to start moving in the right direction. We solicit the faith and prayers of all of you as we petition the Lord for this to happen. We are convinced and have a calm and peaceful feeling that this will happen as all of us continue to "Move forward with faith"

The picture is of our first apartment in Southern California in Sierra Madre. We're the one on the bottom. 1969-70

Thanks for the Tickets

Thanks Nana and Paga!

Although I regret pushing the last post "Thanks for the Blood" off of the top slot, I wanted to share some pictures from the Angels game last night. Thanks for the tickets, Mom and Dad, we had a great time. We bought Buzzy a $3.00 ticket at the gate (can you believe that there are even tickets that cheap?) and it worked out great because no one showed in the seats to the right of us!
A million thanks for a great time!
The Rally monkeys had the best seats in the house!


Kate comes for the food!


This is a paparazzi picture of the backs of Bill Russell and his wife.



Buzzy rooting the Angels onto victory!

THANKS FOR THE BLOOD!

We want to thank all of our friends and family from South Orange County who generously gave of their blood for Sharon. We have had to use a great deal of both blood and platelets and so really appreciate getting our account back towards even. They tell us that there is such a shortage of these blood products that they have had to significantly alter when they give them which puts patients at some additional risk. So don't hold back, take a few minutes and give someone a little bit of yourself at your local blood bank. We continue to make slow but steady progress. This week we only required blood and platelets once. Sharon's white count held throughout the week above 3.o. We get in a good walk each day and this weekend have been getting out twice. Our only downer is that she continues to have nightly reflux which causes her a lot of discomfort and costs precious hours of sleep. I guess we certainly could have much greater problems and should be ecstatic with where we're at, but that I'm afraid is not our mindset. We always want to be doing more. Perhaps one of the lessons we're supposed to be learning is Patience.

I really appreciate the fresh new posts keep them coming. I don't like feeling like a one man band. It would be nice to see a few more comments as well just so I know I'm not writing to myself.

Today marks the 60th day of our new life and we continue to "MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

The picture is Sharon in front of our home in Upland, 1974-76.

What Are You Feeding That Kid?

Now the secret is out, corn dogs...I feed him corn dogs! What can I say? the kid loves to eat. We took a trip up to San Jose for Eric's work and to visit Grandma and Grandpa McClellan. We took a little trip over to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and thought you guys might like to see some pictures.

Early surfing brainwashing!

HAPPY MAY DAY!!!

How could I pass up May 1st without posting about MAY DAY? :-)

When we were living with you guys while Jon was doing his student teaching at Laguna Hills H.S., I had the great experience of being mom's visiting teaching companion. I remember driving around with her on May 1st delivering beautiful tulips to the women we visit taught--what a wonderful experience. And from then on out EVERY May 1st I ALWAYS think of mom and beautiful flowers. And without fail if we happen to be visiting or see you on or around May 1st I am always sent home with some beautiful flowers, usually tulips. (which are one of my favorite flowers) Thank you for making this day special for me mom!!!

HAPPY MAY DAY!!!!