In major events you find out what you and the people around you are really about.
My wife and I have been through major events before. During a 3 month period in our lives, my wife totalled out our new Honda (She was hit in the rear by a large truck. The driver wasn’t paying attention and drove into my wife’s lane), my son Chandler was rushed to the hospital because he couldn’t breath, and we lost all of our belongings and house to a house fire. My wife and I got through despite many adversities. At the time our oldest kids were both under 2. My wife and I thought that would be the worst 3 months in our lives. Boy were we wrong.
The past month, I have learned what kind of kids I have. Despite many hours helping out Tom, Lisa, Hailey and Cooper at the hospitals and malfunctioning phones (both my wife and I have received poor service from our longtime cell phone provider), both of my boys have showed me what type of boys they are.
C.J. finished his first semester in high school with straight A’s. He has also helped quite a bit around the house while my wife and I have been gone.
Despite finishing the wrestling season on not so positive note, Chandler, is now understanding that the medicine he is taking will further weaken him. Despite this he finished the the past semester with good grades and made the basketball team.
Both boys have been semi-ignored this past month by my wife and I. Sure they made it to school, but there were days that they felt bad and we weren’t there. We did our best to get them to practices but we still missed a few.
Unlike past birthdays where the boys were treated as kings at Chuckie Cheese or more recently Dave and Busters with both extended families, this year we had a quiet dinner at a pizza joint with my wife’s side of the family only. Sure they could think of themselves, but they didn’t.
Christmas was kind of helter skelter, but the boys were just happy to see everyone.
C.J. told me, “It is kind of hard to celebrate birthdays and Christmas when someone is missing. It is really good that Lisa, Hailey and Cooper are out of the hospital. Hopes Lisa will not have to go back.”
Chandler is a man of few words (ok, I tried). If you knew Chandler and Hannah, they would be best friends one minute and having a battle the next. Chandler hasn’t really talked and I know tomorrow will be real hard on him.
Hannah really isn’t missing, according to my daughter Cassie. She talks to her everyday on her special phone. I guess everyone handles situations differently. Hannah and Lisa would call Cassie their jitterbug. Cassie is always moving, jumping around and dancing. Cassie was really looking forward to watching Hannah cheer more this winter.
Overall, I’m proud how my boys have picked up after this family crisis.
After I head to my cell phone provider to get some kinks worked out of my phone (like making phone calls and using the track ball), my family will be preparing for a hard day tomorrow.
Reflecting on the past few weeks there is something my family and I have learned. Don’t put off telling someone you love them today, because you might not have the opportunity tomorrow.
Obituary for Hannah Apperson:
APPERSON Hannah Marie Apperson, 13, of Gardner, passed away Dec. 8, 2010. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 a.m. Dec. 28, 2010, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 555 W Main, Gardner, KS. Burial follows at Gardner Cemetery, Gardner, KS. Visitation will be held before the service from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to The Apperson Family Benefit Account, c/o Gardner Bank, PO Box 429, Gardner, KS 66030 or Central National Bank of Gardner. Arrangements: Bruce Funeral Home, Gardner, KS, (913) 856-7111. Condolences may be sent to www.brucefuneralhome.com.
Hannah was born Dec. 3, 1997, in Merriam, KS, to Thomas Michael and Lisa Marie Dowell Apperson. She and her family moved to Gardner in 2002. Hannah was a seventh grader at Wheatridge Middle School where she was a cheerleader, played soccer and violin in the orchestra. She loved to cook and enjoyed gardening with her grandparents. Hannah was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She loved the little things in life like playing outside in the rain. She loved the candy Skittles so much in fact that her nickname became Skittles. Hannah was a fan of The Twilight Series and loved to read. She worked hard at being better at skateboarding. On a perfect day we would see her cooking in the morning, eating sushi in the afternoon, and showing her talent at Xbox in the evening. Hannah kept her friends close like family, because family was the most important thing to her.
The Apperson family would like to express our sincere appreciation for the overwhelming love and support our family has received from the Gardner community, including Hannah's school friends and teachers, many local businesses, many churches, and many neighborhood friends.
Hannah is survived by her parents, Thomas and Lisa Apperson; sister, Hailey; brother, Cooper; maternal grandparents, Jerry and Sue Dowell, Overland Park, KS; paternal grandparents, Sharon Jean Apperson, Overland Park, KS, Bill Apperson, Dallas, TX, Joyce Apperson, Phoenix, AZ; uncles, Chris Dowell and wife Chris, Steve Dowell and wife Nancy, Jason Dowell and wife Jenny, Joe Apperson, Paul Apperson and aunt, Jamie Apperson.
View more pics of Hannah Apperson: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=354750&id=575893848&l=19bd60aec0
My wife and I have been through major events before. During a 3 month period in our lives, my wife totalled out our new Honda (She was hit in the rear by a large truck. The driver wasn’t paying attention and drove into my wife’s lane), my son Chandler was rushed to the hospital because he couldn’t breath, and we lost all of our belongings and house to a house fire. My wife and I got through despite many adversities. At the time our oldest kids were both under 2. My wife and I thought that would be the worst 3 months in our lives. Boy were we wrong.
The past month, I have learned what kind of kids I have. Despite many hours helping out Tom, Lisa, Hailey and Cooper at the hospitals and malfunctioning phones (both my wife and I have received poor service from our longtime cell phone provider), both of my boys have showed me what type of boys they are.
C.J. finished his first semester in high school with straight A’s. He has also helped quite a bit around the house while my wife and I have been gone.
Despite finishing the wrestling season on not so positive note, Chandler, is now understanding that the medicine he is taking will further weaken him. Despite this he finished the the past semester with good grades and made the basketball team.
Both boys have been semi-ignored this past month by my wife and I. Sure they made it to school, but there were days that they felt bad and we weren’t there. We did our best to get them to practices but we still missed a few.
Unlike past birthdays where the boys were treated as kings at Chuckie Cheese or more recently Dave and Busters with both extended families, this year we had a quiet dinner at a pizza joint with my wife’s side of the family only. Sure they could think of themselves, but they didn’t.
Christmas was kind of helter skelter, but the boys were just happy to see everyone.
C.J. told me, “It is kind of hard to celebrate birthdays and Christmas when someone is missing. It is really good that Lisa, Hailey and Cooper are out of the hospital. Hopes Lisa will not have to go back.”
Chandler is a man of few words (ok, I tried). If you knew Chandler and Hannah, they would be best friends one minute and having a battle the next. Chandler hasn’t really talked and I know tomorrow will be real hard on him.
Hannah really isn’t missing, according to my daughter Cassie. She talks to her everyday on her special phone. I guess everyone handles situations differently. Hannah and Lisa would call Cassie their jitterbug. Cassie is always moving, jumping around and dancing. Cassie was really looking forward to watching Hannah cheer more this winter.
Overall, I’m proud how my boys have picked up after this family crisis.
After I head to my cell phone provider to get some kinks worked out of my phone (like making phone calls and using the track ball), my family will be preparing for a hard day tomorrow.
Reflecting on the past few weeks there is something my family and I have learned. Don’t put off telling someone you love them today, because you might not have the opportunity tomorrow.
Obituary for Hannah Apperson:
APPERSON Hannah Marie Apperson, 13, of Gardner, passed away Dec. 8, 2010. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 a.m. Dec. 28, 2010, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 555 W Main, Gardner, KS. Burial follows at Gardner Cemetery, Gardner, KS. Visitation will be held before the service from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to The Apperson Family Benefit Account, c/o Gardner Bank, PO Box 429, Gardner, KS 66030 or Central National Bank of Gardner. Arrangements: Bruce Funeral Home, Gardner, KS, (913) 856-7111. Condolences may be sent to www.brucefuneralhome.com.
Hannah was born Dec. 3, 1997, in Merriam, KS, to Thomas Michael and Lisa Marie Dowell Apperson. She and her family moved to Gardner in 2002. Hannah was a seventh grader at Wheatridge Middle School where she was a cheerleader, played soccer and violin in the orchestra. She loved to cook and enjoyed gardening with her grandparents. Hannah was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She loved the little things in life like playing outside in the rain. She loved the candy Skittles so much in fact that her nickname became Skittles. Hannah was a fan of The Twilight Series and loved to read. She worked hard at being better at skateboarding. On a perfect day we would see her cooking in the morning, eating sushi in the afternoon, and showing her talent at Xbox in the evening. Hannah kept her friends close like family, because family was the most important thing to her.
The Apperson family would like to express our sincere appreciation for the overwhelming love and support our family has received from the Gardner community, including Hannah's school friends and teachers, many local businesses, many churches, and many neighborhood friends.
Hannah is survived by her parents, Thomas and Lisa Apperson; sister, Hailey; brother, Cooper; maternal grandparents, Jerry and Sue Dowell, Overland Park, KS; paternal grandparents, Sharon Jean Apperson, Overland Park, KS, Bill Apperson, Dallas, TX, Joyce Apperson, Phoenix, AZ; uncles, Chris Dowell and wife Chris, Steve Dowell and wife Nancy, Jason Dowell and wife Jenny, Joe Apperson, Paul Apperson and aunt, Jamie Apperson.
View more pics of Hannah Apperson: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=354750&id=575893848&l=19bd60aec0
Blog post written by the Dowell Taggart Team of RE/MAX Best Associates
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1 Comments
We often under-estimate our children until they end up showing us how to handle the toughest things in life. My 9 year old, Luke reminds me every time I cry that Hannah is in a better place- she gets to be with Jesus & meet Michael Jackson. I know it will be sad for him not to see her when we see the other children but his heart is happy for her now. God bless all the families affected by this & praise God for pulling at the hearts of Gardner to pull together through such a difficult time as well as over the past months.
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