Hello 2025

This blog can be a blessing, but it can also be a curse when it feels more like a duty.  I love blogging when it feels like a space to process or celebrate or heal or share.  I dislike it when I get behind and it feels like a chore.  It becomes especially tedious when I get hung up by perfectionism.  These past few months have been pretty intense and I'm obviously behind. Chores may not be fun, but life feels great when they are finished.  Yesterday I completed the coursework for a really challenging nursing leadership course that I've been tackling.  With a little more time available, my goal is to crank out posts superspeed and get caught up so that blogging can be enjoyable again.

December 28th, 2024.  Annika comes home from the hospital!  Time to celebrate our second Second Christmas.  

Brooklyn, we wished you were there!  This was the very first ornament we placed on the tree, hung in your honor.  I can't wait to celebrate all together next year.  For those who aren't counting as closely as I am, Brooklyn is now halfway through her missionary service and doing amazing things as a Sister Training Leader in Madrid.  She's fully committed to serving the Lord and the beautiful people of Spain, so I don't wish for time to pass more quickly than it should.  Still, in my mind I am already savoring that first joyful hug of reunion.

Annika looks like she's savoring the experience of a real tree with lights.  The hospital tried its very best, but there's nothing lovelier than your own home.

It seems small, but one of the things she missed very most was this.  The freedom to just sprawl out on the floor to draw or build or just relax.  You simply can't do that in a hospital.

Eager to celebrate, we opened packages that very day.  NomiAnn and Papa Kay joined us, graciously masking to keep the germs at bay.

Besides, with a little embellishment masks don't have to be boring.  (Warning: the Sharpie smell might also be intoxicating.)

Talia gave this to Jason.  If he knew how portentous the gift, he might have scowled instead of smiled. 

She also gave him this, because every Dad needs a Swiftie shirt.

The cow may have spawned a yawn, but Jason really liked it and hung it in his office.

Thanks to Ben Keddington and Claire Wright for this beauty!  Torrey, Utah: Home to Fat Horses.

Officially an adult, Talia was generous and relinquished the title of "Favorite Child" to the next in line, Eli.

NomiAnn and Papa Kay spoiled Eli with a digital slr camera this year.  What a treat!  It's fun to see him taking photographs just like his Dad.

Christmas 2024 was the year of the Legos.  So many amazing sets bringing so much joy!  Annika still has a few left to build.  (The rest of us aren't that patient.)

As for me, I was super excited about our upgraded light fixture.  

Happy Christmas to all!

12 Days of Christmas.  This year our family felt extra spoiled because we had two amazing Christmas elves who shared the joy of the 12 Days of Christmas.  Thanks to the love of Diane and the Shumways, Annika got to celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas in the hospital.  (Shhh, it was supposed to be a surprise, but I spoiled it on the very last day so the secret is out, I suppose.)  Annika looked forward to each day and new surprise with such joy!  Then when she missed out on some days in the ICU, she got to stretch the fun out past Christmas, which was even more delightful.  

We don't know who our other Christmas Elf is, but we know of their generous heart and tremendous gift-giving capacity. You know, it's kind of a beautiful thing to see the world through the lens of such love.  You look around and see all the love around you and see brightness shining.  You don't know if that is your special person, but you feel their light and know that they are the kind of person that could be.

Without further delay, some of our treasures.  Here's Annika's trove.

Two turtle doves.

Three French hens.

Four calling birds.

Five golden rings in a lovely jewelry box.

Six geese a laying.

Seven swans a swimming.

Ten Lords a leaping.

And a partridge in a pear tree!  You get the idea.  Even though I know you don't want to be recognized, thank you Shumway family for sharing such amazing love.

December 29-31st.  Even though we didn't have much snow, we relished being back in the neighborhood.  It was especially rewarding to go for walks with Annika and celebrate how she could now walk "the loop" without chest pain.

She was also super excited for some home cooked meals.  Creamy cajun pasta is always a favorite.

Scarcely home for 48 hours, and the siblings were already composing songs to convince us to get a dog.

Come New Year's Eve, I felt pretty drained, both physically and emotionally.  I didn't think I'd manage to pull much of a celebration together, but Callie came to the rescue, dropping off all the fixings for fondue, plus some mini firecrackers.  Thank you, Wilhoits!  We were so grateful!

Add Cities and Knights for an instant party.  Happy New Year, world!

January 1st--Ringing in the New Year with skiing at Brighton! It's not every day you get to celebrate a new quarter century.  I'm not sure why my photo is so blurry, but this was Mr. Jason's first second time back on the slopes since ACL replacement.  Huzzah!  Jason, Talia, Eli, myself, AND the Wilhoits were all there, all thanks to NomiAnn and Papa Kay who stayed with Annika.  Annie and Brooklyn, we missed you!  Next year we are filling up every seat on Crest6.

Jason stayed for some night skiing.  Fun!  FYI: last day of night skiing happens to be April 12th, just in case anyone (ahem, Wells family) wants to bookend the season.

Due to some sternal precautions, Annika wasn't cleared for skiing yet, so she made some adorable clay pet figurines instead.

These last photos were taken more recently.  You can appreciate how much the pet adoption center has grown!  Also, make sure you notice the wiener dog with mustard in the background.  

The cats have yarn and a toy mouse to entertain them.

These other mice better watch out!  The snake is eyeing them suspiciously.

Check out Eli's new toy!  Santa's sleigh was a little delayed, but his 3D printer finally arrived.  Eli did a lot of careful research on the best model to purchase and gave Santa some advice, as well as a bit of a financial boost.  I think it's been well worth the investment!

Coming home from the hospital, Annika had (has?) lots of follow-up appointments.  When she wanted to head clinic dressed like this, I didn't say a word.  Seeing this rainbow bunny would make me smile any day.  

In general we try to make visits fun by including a treat like sushi afterward.

While our visits have now spaced out to twice a month, at first they were happening twice a week.  Here's a photo of a less jolly visit when Annika had a migraine.  Headache or no, we still had to go in to have labs drawn.

Meeting up with cousins to play at the park.  Just like during Covid, we tried to socialize outdoors whenever possible, just to play it safe.  Chilly, but better than not seeing each other at all.

Celebrating Mom and Dad by going out to eat at the Bombay House (now the Mumbai House.)  So very tasty!  

January 4th, 2025.  Snow!  Salt Lake gets some much desired powder. 

 

Walking through the cemetery with my friend Sonja.

Annika was so proud of how she can run in the snow now.

Talia, Annika and Eila builing forts in the backyard.

Looking so sophisticated as they warm up with their hot drinks.

Meanwhile up the canyon, Jason and Eli visited Dr. Snow.

Temporary greeter at the chapel.

Back inside, here's Annika helping me make butternut squash soup.

Assembling her amazing jungle Lego set.

Pausing to draw.  As her most recent obsession, wolves are a favorite subject.

She also likes to draw maps of how to get to Petco in order to buy a dog.  You know, just in case anyone, ahem Jason, needed to know. 

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January 11th--hiking up Millcreek Canyon with Annika.  Bored at home, I had the brilliant idea to get out into nature for some germ-free distraction.  While the trail was a winter wonderland, this outing was not a huge success.  Check out how far away from the cars we were when Annika decided that she wanted to go back.

Not in the mood for photos.

In all fairness, her back hurt.  Since surgery, Annie's had occasional back pain, especially with exercise.  The massage therapist explained that when all of the muscles on the front of your chest are cut, your back has to work extra hard.

Fortunately Jason and Eli's Saturday excursion to ski Brighton was much more successful.  Joy!  After an entire season of Jason being unable to ski, it was delightful to know he was back on the slopes having the best time with his son.  (I can't remember where Talia was that day, but judging by the pictures, I'm guessing she wasn't skiing.)

Remember that hike up Millcreek canyon that was kind of a disaster with Annika?  Well, we may not have made it then, but my friend Julie kept me company later on a lovely winter excursion up to the same Salt Lake Overlook.

The next major event in our lives (beyond cath labs) was adopting Zion on January 16th.  Best mistake I ever made?  Kind of a love/hate relationship at times, but he's great company zonkered on the couch as I blog.  

Well, just hours after adopting Zion, Talia and Jason took off to Southern Utah for a work trip.  It made for a long weekend adjusting to canine parenthood on my own, but I'm glad they could get away.  The pictures are stunning!  Zion National Park is remarkable in all seasons.  Hint hint, come and see!

Tossing in a photo of a building Jason helped design for Switchpoint, just to prove that work happened too.

Plus, a picture of the newly renovated St. George temple, standing as a beacon night and day.

Now back to Zion, as experienced from the north Kolob side.

Hope that ice is solid!

And here I thought our house was drafty.

Glorious!

Back in Salt Lake, Eli was busy teaching himself how to model in AutoCad, even designing our church building so that he could print out these original 3D models!

The 3D printer can print practical stuff too, like this doohickey that let Eli suspend his Lego ornithopter over his bed.

Meanwhile, Annika and I amused ourselves with the canines.

As for Jason, he always threatened to go sleep on the couch at work if we ever got a dog.  Turns out he just hits the ski slopes instead.  Here he is with Christy enjoying the views of Mount Timpangos from Great Western.

I got jealous that Jason was skiing with another woman, so he took me on a ski date too.

Just as fun was the double ski date with Callie and Adam (plus Eli on a snowboard.) 

 

Especially considering it was only his second attempt, Eli picked up the mechanics of snowboarding ridiculously well!

In case you are wondering how Jason really feels about Zion, I found these selfies on Jason's camera roll. He loves our naughty pup just as much as we all do.

And poof!  In a single post we come home from the hospital with a newly shared heart, celebrate a new quarter century, and welcome a dog into our lives.  Life is crazy but good.