Hermana Talia Lily Wheeler

I've been putting off composing this post because it's bittersweet. This is the post where we both celebrate the beginning of Talia's missionary service and bid our ReddiWip farewell. I'll try to keep the tone light, but just know that my computer keyboard probably has a few wet splotches as well. Sure miss you, Tally Wally!

So the turn around time between Spain and Talia getting set apart as a missionary was fast. We arrived home super late Friday night and discovered that Talia's missionary name tags had arrived.

On Saturday morning we were reunited with our pup. As you can tell, Zion was ecstatic to see Talia. Looks like our wild leaper left Talia with a kiss to remember him by!

On Sunday May 31st Talia gave a beautiful missionary farewell address at church. They have a big map in the foyer with pins representing all the places our ward currently has missionaries called to serve. So fun that Santa Fe, Argentina gets two pins for both Talia and Zach!

After church we held a celebratory luncheon at our house. Talia was a good sport about posing in front of her Argentinian flag.

She had so many friends from high school and college come to support her.

We are so grateful for all the family that was there too. NomiAnn was amazing in helping to prep so much of the luncheon before we even got back to the States. Also, a bit shoutout to Papa Kay for lovingly keeping our plants alive while we were gone. And the biggest shoutout to the Wilhoits for entertaining Zion. We love our village so much!

As for the yummy cookie treats, many thanks to both Grandma Susie and Brianna. They were delicious!

And now for some photos of the joyful day.

Vibrantly Violet.

Awesome Anders.

As for the best hugs, the award always goes to Amy. So many thanks to her and her Mom Diane for the delicious shrimp pasta salad!

Justin is jiving.

As for Brianna and Callie, well, they just look like they are having way too much fun. I adore how much our family likes our family.

I think rock painting has become a new gathering tradition.

A beautiful pic of Talia with NomiAnn and Papa Kay. We just should have grabbed one with Grandma Susie and Grandpa Charles too!

Talia and the YW leaders who adore her: Tara, Sonja and Diane.

There were so many other pictures we could have taken, but you get the idea. Our home was full of friends and family who support Talia nd are so proud of her desire to love and serve the people of Argentina.

On Tuesday June 2nd we took Talia to see her last movie in the theaters for a good long while. Can't remember what we saw, but I do remember getting popcorn. Annika thought the container made the perfect hat. Oh, just remembered the movie: The Devil Wears Prada 2.

That evening,  she was officially set apart as a missionary by our bishop Eric Buell and Stephen James. 

Annika was there for this special moment as well, but slipped away before photos. As for Eli, he was off at FSY Camp (For the Strength of Youth) at Snow College in Ephraim.

The next morning Talia began seventeen days of Home MTC, or missionary training that takes place virtually via extensive Zoom classes, personal study etc. For the most part, she was cloistered away in the basement bedroom diligently studying. But whenever she emerged for lunch or breaks, I often snagged my camera.  'Cuz cuz.

My favorite moments were when we had enough time to slip away into the Foothills for some hiking.

Zion loves being on the trails too!  He's just undecided about being held.

Brooklyn, Talia and I went to the Taylorsville Temple together and found the quirkiest Vietnamese cafe after. With a photo backdrop like this, how could we resist?

Mallow roast in the Wilhoits backyard? Yes please!

Looking mighty fly there, Anders.

Strong work with the face paint, Eila!

Canine besties Pickles and Zion can't imagine whey we would have fun inside without them.

So, we came back out for a little more fun. 

Just a boy and a box and a pup

Just a boy and a box and two pups.

Just two boys and a box and back to one pup.

Speaking of pups, Annika was not all that excited to be taking Zion out on this particular evening. Fortunately Brooklyn was all smiles, and the view was beautiful. 

Back to Brooklyn, this summer she lived at home while commuting via FrontRunner to Provo. She was working for BYU full-time programming online interactive activities for online courses, including some super complicated physics labs. What a smarty pants!

In general, she tried to work four 10 hour days so that she could have a day off. Add a 1.5 hour commute each direction, and that means leaving the house at 5:30 am and getting home around 8:00 pm. Poor gal! I think she is so happy to be back on campus. But before you feel too bad for Brooklyn, know that she also had some serious fun this summer. She traveled to Australia with NomiAnn for a mission companion's wedding, went to Cedar City with her bestie, plus celebrated the weddings of her close high school friend, another mission companion, and a freshman year dormmate. Even more, she did an amazing job of being "present" with our family, making time to be with us whenever possible. I don't know what I did right in the universe to get a 20-something year-old daughter who seems genuinely happy to hang with her Mom, but every day I am grateful. Here we are eating french toast at Kneaders in City Creek.

And here we are at Temple Square, feeling giddy that the scaffolding is finally off the Salt Lake Temple and the visitor centers are open.

Inside the visitor's center they have a pretty amazing model of the temple and the grounds. It was exciting to go inside after everything being closed for renovation for years. I'm even more excited for the temple open houses this spring. And just think Talia, by the time you come home the temple will be rededicated and functioning as usual!

For one of Talia's P-days (missionary lingo for a day off, or "preparation day"), we headed to the Scottish Festival and Highland Games. Because really, nothing says Talia more than Scotland. Also, thanks to Papa Kay for meeting us there. We all happened to show up just at the same time!

Coming into the festival, we were greeted by these giant Irish wolfhounds. They looked even bigger in person.

The Scottish dancing was also a favorite. With so many leaps and constant jumping, it requires an impressive amount of atheleticism.

Waiting for the opening cermonies. Definitely a scorcher of a day.

But hey, it was definitely worth the wait. Listening to a hundred bagpipes and drums perform Scotland the Brave gave me goosebumps.

Checking out all the shops. Annika found some super cool DnD dice that Eli 3D printed a fantastic box for,

Eila, you're my favorite!

I know the pic is blurry, but check out the dancers!

We have Papa Kay and Anders, Brooklyn and Eila, Eli and Callie, and Adam with an unknown beautiful girl. At least Callie was there to keep an eye on things. :)

Look, we even ran into our dear friend Shannon! Gosh, I miss working with her at West!

Brooklyn, you're dazzling.

Annika, being a pirate suits you.

And Talia, you're my favorite too!  (Talia is the OG fav.)

The thing about having a mission farewell and then seventeen days of home MTC is that you have so many lasts. It feels like you are saying goodbye again and again and again. While we absolutely loved having Talia there, it was kind of a weird extended limbo of being stuck between worlds and waiting for the "real" mission to start. I think if Talia could have chosen, she would have still had home MTC, just maybe a week shorter. Anyway, here we are having a last breakfast with NomiAnn and Papa Kay. Monkey bread for the win!

Also, Zion will sometimes put his head in your lap while you eat and it's a little annoying but totally adorable.

Now for the farewell dinner at NomiAnn and Papa Kay's place. We decided to take pics before eating while the light was still good. The pyramid never gets old--it's just too exciting.

While the kids pretty much rocked the three story pyramid, we experienced structural collapse before making it to four. Brooklyn, looks like you're the weak link! (Ironic, 'cause she's super strong.) 

I can't remember what we ate for dinner, but I remember all the yummy pies! Thanks, NomiAnn. Also, Papa Kay gave Talia her own canister of Reddi Wip for the occasion.

Now for some farewell meat pie at our house. Meat pie was definitely on Talia's list of meal requests before taking off to Argentina.

All too soon we were giving farewell hugs. Annika and I left a couple of days before Talia and I flew out to Mexico so that I could drive Annika to Round Up River Ranch in Colorado.

Looking at these photos, the pain of separation is still real and raw. But grief is the price we pay for love, and absolutely worth it. With it comes the joyful anticipation of being reunited.

For Talia, the moments of connection and farewell continued. This hot dog roast up Millcreek canyon looks like it was so much fun and a great way to say goodbye to the Millcreek Wheelers.

Plus, what could be more fun than making crazy faces with Violet.

A little charcoaled for some but the perfecr S'more for others. Callie trained her kids well.

Violet agrees.

A farewell hug from Ruby.

And another from Eila.

Leaping with love.

Thursay, June 18th, 2026. Bags all packed and waiting by the door. It's surreal to see your life for the next 18 months so tidily encapsulated.

Making their way through the airport. Destination: Mexico City MTC!

Gluttons for punishment, the Wilhoits came for another goodbye. In truth, it looks like their smiles and signs were exactly what was needed to lighten the mood and make the day a joyful one. Thanks for being there!

At the airport, Talia finally got to meet her home MTC companion in person. I'm so happy they connected after weeks of spending hours and hours together online.

Here's Talia making her way through the airport crowd. While Talia's a travel expert, I'm glad Brooklyn was there for some Hermana-you've-got-this love.

Our Talia was loved and supported by her best friends Clara and Hannah as well.

Family photos. Hey, random fact: I just heard that SLC Airport might start allowing gateside reunions. If so, I might get my TSA Pre-Check after all! Getting to see Talia fifteen minutes sooner would be totally worth it. :)

Hermana Talia, your Dad loves you so much. So do I!

And these are the pictures that really make me cry. The love between these siblings is so great--saying farewell is wrenching. I'm just so very glad these sisters got a semester together before parting ways again.

Hermana Talia Lily Wheeler, Para siempre Dios esté con vos, God be with you 'til we meet again.

We love you!

Cardiac Transplant Celebration and Walking Free

True confessions. Ever since Annika's cardiac arrest in 2022, I've been obsessed with hearts. For pretty obvious reasons, my passion for cardiology soon melded with a fixation on transplant. So when Annika received an invitation to the U.T.A.H. Cardiac Transplant Program 40th Anniversary Celebration,  I was pretty excited to tag-along as an extra. 

Also, I thought it was snazzy that the event was being held at the Capitol. In the ten years I've lived in Salt Lake, I'd never actually gone inside. Crazy since we live so close!

Annika was not thrilled that I made her wear a dress, but finally capitulated. 

When we arrived, the place was packed with a giant line to check-in. It was super loud with no place to sit--especially tricky when you're holding plates of food. Here's a photo Jason took much later after things settled down.

On the positive side, the Capitol certainly is beautiful.

As soon as we figured out it was an option, we headed to the outdoor patio where there were tents and TVs set up to broadcast the program. So much nicer!

The program was meaningful for Jason and myself. The keynote speaker was Dr. Dale Renlund. I had no idea that prior to being called as an apostle, Elder Renlund was the medical director for the U.T.A.H. cardiac transplant program for nearly 20 years. I enjoyed learning about the consortium of Utah Transplantation Affiliated Hospitals, and marveled that there are four transplant hospitals located within 20 minutes of our home (University of Utah, Intermountain Medical Center, Primary Children's and the VA.) I cried when a mother representing Donor Connect talked about her daughter who passed away at the age of three, then invited the boy who had her daughter's heart to join her on stage.  I applauded the fourteen year-old girl who talked about living her new life with positivity instead of mourning the life that could have been. And of course, we recognized the work of all the medical teams who make transplant possible.

As a transplant recipient, Annika plays a critical role--the program exists to help patients like her. So she added her piece to the puzzle.

Annika's puzzle piece was marked with her name and a transplant number.  There have been more than 2000 hearts transplanted since Utah's first heart transplant 40 years ago. Her transplant was so recent that I rather doubt hers was number 1426 chronologically, but I'll ask at her next appointment.

We talked to a man who told us that transplant recipients generally know their number. 

Not Annika. 

As it turns out, she doesn't want to be identified by a number or her status as a transplant recipient. While she enjoyed getting to see a few familiar faces from Primary Children's, in general these were not her people. Within fifteen minutes, she was asking to leave. So after some obligatory small talk and listening to the keynote speaker,  Jason and I gave her permission to walk home.

While naturally we would have loved to have Annika join us the whole time, I also felt a smidge of pride when she left. I am indescribably grateful that she is healthy enough to walk the 2.5 uphill miles home. Before transplant, walking a block was questionable.

So if Annika decides to take off walking and leave her transplant identity behind, that's just fine. Obviously it's something that she can never fully shed (hello meds), but it doesn't have to define her. Frankly, I'm glad that she doesn't share my obsession with hearts. In no way does this diminish her gift or mean that we are less grateful for her donor. It's my hope that her donor lived each day fully, rarely thinking about the miraculously pump inside their body. Their gift is allowing Annika to live life similarly, shedding the world of cardiology to walk free and and enjoy the sunset.

What's Actually Up With the Wheelers

Whew! I finally finished blogging Spain but school is already back in session, meaning that I have an entire summer to catch up on. 

But first, here's a glimpse of what's been happening in our lives, realtime.  Meet Vivien!

Viven has been living with us as an exchange student from Vietnam. She returned to her boarding school at Wasatch Academy in Central Utah on Sunday, but we loved having her stay with us for a month.

(Tally Wally, please know that as much as we love Vivien, you are not replaced! We all miss you, including Zion!)

Back to Vivien, she had secured a summer internship at a laboratory up at the University of Utah, so our home was conveniently located for her. Her research project focused on memory structures in the hippocampus of mice, especially looking at the extracellular matrix. It's not every high schooler who is an expert in neuroanatomy and brain dissection!

Naturally one of the first (and last) things we did with Vivien was take her up into the Foothills near our home. Here's Annika modeling how to properly enjoy a sunset.

Originally we'd thought Vivien needed to leave Friday, so we all went out to eat at Indochine in her honor on Thursday night.

But good news! She didn't need to leave until Sunday so the next night we dined out again. This time we ate Thai at Sawadee in Brooklyn's honor, as she was moving back down to Provo on Saturday. Thanks to NomiAnn, Papa Kay, and the Wilhoits for joining us! I just wish I'd taken a picture. Ah well, I did grab a few silly photos when we went to see Eli at work at Hatch Family Chocolates after.

By the way, Annika is now officially an eighth grader at Hillside Middle.  She is highly motivated to have a successful school year and earn a trip to a Stray Kids concert. You've got this, Annie Mae!  (Yeah, yeah, I know. You're Annika now. But sometimes I miss saying Annie.)

As for Eli, he is now a Junior at West High. He seems a bit uncertain of our antics in this pic! Don't worry--Steve will forgive us. 

Eli is managing a huge load this year: check out this pile of books if you need evidence. 

Add to that being a hardware captain for robotics and running cross-country and working a couple nights a week, and he is busy. I think it's going to take a little time to settle into a manageable rhythm. We love you, Eli! You've got this!

On Saturday morning Brooklyn and I went for our first training run before heading down to Provo. Brooklyn, Eli and I are all planning to run the Haunted Half in Provo on Halloween. This is Brooklyn's very first long-distance run: 13.1 miles--there's a fright-mare for real! Amazing gatherer that she is, she's already talked her former mission companion Hermana Takahashi into joining us, so I'm sure it will be a great party.

Next stop: the Wilhoits for some last minute hugs. Plus, Brooklyn needed to retreive all of the stuff she's been storing in their shed.

Anders looks ready to caravan all the way down to Provo in his tiny Tesla.

Cousin love!

Here we are moving into Cinnamon Tree apartments. Brooklyn has a super-fun housing situation going on where she's talked a group of her friends (Lily, Kacie and Laney) into rooming with her. A cozy apartment with six girls, it's sure be a party every night! I just hope they settle down to study too.  :) Not that I'm actually worried about Brooklyn--she does a fantastic job juggling her academic load, work, and social life. Her color coded spreadsheet of assignments is highly impressive, if not a little daunting. She's even mapped out her calendar for the whole semester already.

Settling in. Told you it's cozy!

Aw, look how NomiAnn's bedspread and some books transform the space.

Perfect spot for a snooze. We were all glad to see Jason get some much needed rest. Earlier that morning he took Zion out for a 10 mile fast run through the mountains!

With move-in mostly complete, we splurged on some Swedish Moose candy with Laney. Downtown Provo is sooo cute!

Before we knew it Sunday had arrived and it was time to take Vivien to the airport. While it's just a two hour drive to Mt. Pleasant, this was the best way to connect with the international students who would be heading down to Wasatch Academy.

Soul sisters. 

Later that day I cajoled the family into taking a hike up to Lake Mary by Brighton. The start was steeper than I remembered, so here we are taking a break to watch the wild jays.

I like this scenery best. I don't think Jason stopped smiling the entire way as he walked through his favorite ski runs and imagined what it will be like to zoom down them in a few months.

Yup, this is me. Always taking too many pictures.

If I had to pick a favorite lake in all the Cottonwoods, it would be Lake Mary.

And hey, look who was back from Provo already! Brooklyn was in Salt Lake for Ammon's mission homecoming, so we captured her for our adventure.

While blessing dinner a couple hours later, Annika thanked God for the beautiful lake and hike, twice. I couldn't agree more, cutie!

Speaking of dinner, we dined well, all thanks to NomiAnn and Papa Kay's kind invitation to eat paella with them. We pulled up to the Cottage just as a rainshower transformed into a gorgeous double rainbow with the moon peeking out between.

Beautiful place you live, Mom and Dad!

Then, when Adam showed up for Sunday night British TV, we discovered that he and Eli were twinners. Family is the best!

With both Brooklyn and Vivien both moving out, it was a bittersweet weekend, but joyful all the same.