I'm Back with Updates

I've been on a little hiatus. This blog had served me well. A place for thoughts. A place for documentation. A sort of scrapbook for photos. But it seemed like it was starting to drive me instead of the other way around and I needed a break. I really didn't know if I'd come back to it. But something has been nagging me to take it up again.

So here I am.

With a little update on the fam from the past year and a half.

Tyler and Missy. 26 Years. We got to celebrate by going back to Anthony's, a restaurant we went to on our honeymoon. Our yard was featured in the Tooele Garden Tour once again. Missy completed her 10th half marathon and started her 6th year teaching 2nd grade. Tyler finally decided to fix his Achilles with surgery. It's been a slow process but he's off the knee scooter and gradually gaining strength in that foot again. 

New babies and missionaries. It was a race to see who was going to make it first: Wesley or Nate. Nate was coming on August 26, 2022 and Wesley's due date was the 27th. Wesley joined us on August 23 just in time to make it to the airport for a fabulous reunion. Did I mention school also started that week!?!

Nate finished his first year at BYU as an Economics major, is teaching piano to students in Eagle Mountain and is a TA for a business writing class. He loves to go to the gym, play basketball, pickleball, run, and tennis. You'll find him at most sporting events for BYU with a myriad of friends. He is a gatherer of friends when he comes home occasionally.

Ash graduated from high school and is finishing up hair school in Cedar City with about 6 more weeks to go. She is everyone's favorite hair stylist. She also finished up her first semester at SUU doing classes online and in the evenings because hair school is pretty much an 8 to 5 job. Ash transitioned pretty quickly to grown-up life when she moved out in June. She loves the mountains, avocado and toast, McDonald's Sprite, and hanging with friends.

Erik has one more semester to go at USU and will graduate this spring, majoring in Data Analytics. He's currently looking for job opportunities in that field. For now, he eats, drinks, sleeps tennis. He is on the club tennis team at USU, playing number one singles, and has traveled to tournaments in California and Texas. He teaches tennis classes at the Sports Academy and had a minor surgery soon after his dad. He is soon to be engaged to the wonderful Emma who is a real life pro at ice skating. For reals! She can do all the twirly, skate backward kind of stuff.

Alex has been playing more tennis and is destined to be better than his brothers if he continues playing. He loves pickleball, coding, Minecraft, and has become obsessed with Kakuro puzzles. Alex has become an only child at home and still loves hanging with mom and dad on our weekly dates and watching basketball games.

Kiersten and Jason are busy raising two wonderful little boys. Kiersten teaches piano and works for the UofU part time in a research lab. She even got her name on a published article! Jason is the maintenance guy for a company and loves fishing anytime he can. They love to be outdoors and are still driving our 2005 van they bought from us 3 1/2 years ago. Go Toyota!

We were able to take family road trip to Oregon this summer and brought Grandma instead to take Nate's place who couldn't leave FSY stuff behind. Ash caught the one-and-only salmon and Jason was enamored with crabbing.

We have been healthy, other than maxing out our insurance for the first time ever this year, and ready to see what the new year brings. One wedding for sure :)

How we spend our anniversaries

Sometimes we vacation in fun places but lately it seems that Tyler and I find ourselves celebrating among the trees and plants. Just like I celebrate my birthday all month long, our anniversary celebration stretched over a few days.

For our actual anniversary we went to Red Butte Gardens and toured the grounds. The last time we were there was ions ago when Kiersten was small enough to straddle her dad's shoulders. Tyler reminded me that at that time he wasn't in to plants and trees and remembered that excursion being hot.

This time we came home with a few new plant ideas for our yard. And lucky for us, our local nursery had a few. Mock orange was my new favorite with it's irresistible fragrance.

Tyler also discovered they have his favorite tree in full stature. We haven't been so lucky on our property, killing 7 of them.

But it renewed our hope that maybe this last one will pull through. Keeping our fingers crossed.

This is also what our elderberry could look like as a tree form.

The next day we took the three younger kids with us to see the play Matilda at Hale Center Theater. What a delight! The acting and music was superb. We all walked away wanting to go again to watch the other cast and compare.

Friday and Saturday we hung together at the Tooele Valley Garden Tour. Tyler was in charge of securing some Lake Point sites, so in his fancy orange shirt we headed to South Rim to tour the homes out there first and then came back and visited with our Lake Point friends.

On Saturday, I brought along my friend Becca who loves gardening also and we made the rounds in Stansbury, Grantsville, and Tooele.

Twenty-two years. That's a long time, but not nearly as long as Brian and Laura who celebrated 50 years in March or Grandma and Grandpa Ellis who hit 70 last year. And my own parents have us doubled at 44. I love that Tyler and me have grown closer together through our common interest in gardening.

Don't you just love these grapes trellis's he made me for my birthday, er . . . Mother's Day.

First wedding shower

I'm really not sure where April has secreted itself, at least according to this blog. I need to make one entry to ensure that it doesn't disappear entirely.

I started a reading class that is scheduled to last 5 weeks, and because of its shortness, my time has been eaten up in the monstrosity of assignments. I knew it would be intense. As of tomorrow I'm halfway done. There is a mote of light at the end of this month-long tunnel.

I'm also adding to my ever-growing list of things to replace when its feasibly possible. My mixer died a fourth death and this time I'm burying it for good. I've fixed it three times in the past but this last time I knew would be it. It was a good mixer, but I need something that can withstand the amount of dough I make. Our push mower is also dying a slow death. It's hard to start and coughs and sputters around the yard as one wheel fights to not fall off.

The Ellis clan was kind enough to throw a joint wedding shower for Kiersten and her "twousin" Naomi (who is really her first cousin once removed). Who would have thought they'd get to experience such a grand life experience together. This photo is old but was the first one I thought of with these two.

They did it on the same day as a big party for Grandma and Grandpa Ellis 70th wedding anniversary. Imagine having that many descendants and that isn't even everyone. What a remarkable life those two have led.

Erik and Nate are in the thick of tennis matches. Oh how I love to watch, especially when they are on the same court at the same time. That sure makes it nice and convenient. Yesterday was a tournament in Ogden where Alex and I enjoyed the day soaking up the sun with little thought of what I should be doing instead. Alex likes the matches just as much as me, although I suspect he really enjoys the attention he gets from the other boys. During one match they all played  Stump Alex on March Madness trivia. He stunned them all with his knowledge of college basketball teams.

Erik has submitted mission papers to the bishop and is just needing interviews before the final submission.

How life just keeps marching on.

Fathers

This has been the week for the fathers in my life.

Monday Tyler and I celebrated 20 years of marriage and for 18 of those he's been the father of my children. Last fall I was in the early stages of planning a celebratory trip to somewhere but that came to a screeching halt when a job loss thrust itself upon us. Instead we bought ourselves a tree to plant (which is a little more permanent anyway) and went to a play at the Desert Star Playhouse.

That little tree is another white fir to match the others in the back area that is slowly becoming our "camping" spot. He also surprised me with a picnic table and some quote posters for a classroom I hope to have some day.

Tyler is patient, good-natured, and works hard for our family. Our kids enjoy quoting movie lines with him which unfortunately go right over my head, and he is great to include Erik and Nate in his weekly basketball group of guys.

My dad celebrated his 65th birthday on Tuesday and now has full access to all the senior citizen discounts. Oh, how fortunate I am to have him around as he wasn't so lucky with his own dad. He is one of the hardest working people I've ever known and I give credit to him for my strong work ethic. He taught me how to get up early, work hard, and have pride in a job well done. He often worked right along side us which is something I've tried to do with my own kids.

The man never tires of creating new things:

tree houses . . . then

and now

swimming pools . . . then

and now

sand boxes

He isn't a man who needs much. This was a tv he got for one of his birthdays that we had for years and years. I think it might be smaller than the screen on my laptop.

He made camping fun.

He was and is a spiritual leader in our home, expounding the scriptures to us which helped me develop a love for the gospel. He is my rock and the mentor I turn to for advice. His unwavering steadiness is a trait I admire greatly in my dad.

His own father passed away very young when my dad was only 31.

I can't imagine what that would have been like to not be able to call your dad for help and assurance. He had to navigate the land of fatherhood basically on his own and I think he's done a pretty swell job.

I love both of these men in my life who take the title of father.