2022 Newsletter

 What a year! Just to recap...

December 2021

• We found out I was pregnant four days before Christmas! Miraculously, Jason did not spill the beans during our trip home.
  
  
  

January

• We moved back to Herriman, Utah after a fun 18 months in Denver. We miss our Colorado friends and family but have had fun making new friends and reconnecting with old family and friends in Utah. 
• Jason began working as a maintenance technician for Walmart. 
• Kiersten began volunteering as a research assistant in a Neuroscience lab at the University of Utah to gain research experience for grad school applications. 

February

• Kiersten began teaching piano in both Herriman and Eagle Mountain at Tad and Annette's (Jason's parents) home. 
• We announced to our families that we were expecting. Mama Missy terrified Oliver with her shouts of excitement, but he has since recovered :)

March

• We began finishing Tad and Annette's basement! So far we have only completed the framing, but hopefully the entire project will get done this year. Kiersten's favorite part is using the chop saw. 

• Oliver discovered a love of cooking. 

• We celebrated Annette's 50th birthday. 

April

• Oliver participated in his first Easter Egg Hunt. 

• We learned that Wesley was a boy, much to our surprise (but not disappointment). 

May

• Kiersten turned 23 and had fun observing a brain surgery on her birthday.
• Oliver turned 2 on Erik's birthday. We celebrated at the Ogden dinosaur park with both families. Erik had a much better experience than he did the first time we went. 

June

• We had a Seamons family reunion in Ferron. 

• Jason tagged along to Lagoon with Kiersten's family for Alex's birthday. Kiersten was 7 months pregnant so she went to work instead :(

July

• We camped with Jason's parents. Jason and Tad caught lots of fish in the stream right next to our camp.
• We attended the wedding of Kiersten's uncle and new aunt and had a blast. 

• We ran a 4th of July 5K. (Kiersten walked most of it). 
• Jason flew to Minnesota for a work training. Neither of us had ever been to Minnesota before!
• Kiersten and Oliver joined the Leary's at the Ellis Cabin in Manor Lands

• We hiked to 5th Water Hot Springs. 

August

• Alex was unable to attend the Imagine Dragons concert he was gifted tickets to, so Jason and I went instead. Neither of us had ever been to a real concert before! We are not sure if we are late-night concert people. 

• Oliver found himself in the ER twice -- once for a popcorn kernel he stuck down his ear canal, and again for an asthma attack. The doctor diagnosed him with "too much playing in the splash pad". Papa Tyler did not see that one coming when he installed the splash pad.

• Wesley was born on August 23. No complications this time, even though he was a whopping 8 pounds -- 3 pounds bigger than Oliver when he was born! We were able to go home the next evening. Oliver LOVES being a big brother, and was very happy to finally meet the mysterious "baby Wesley" we had been referring to for months. 

• Nate returned from his mission three days after we had Wesley and we met him at the airport. We are so happy to have him home!

September

• We took the boys to the State Fair. Oliver loved seeing all the animals. 

• Jason started a new job as a facilities specialist for a tech company in Cottonwood Heights called Master Control. He not only got a raise, but he also has way more time off and better medical benefits than any other job he's had. He thinks he'll stay with this one for awhile. 

October

• Kiersten attended a Neuroscience Symposium at Snowbird while Nate babysat. Nate was only a little bit traumatized by the hassle of dealing with two very young boys. 
• We took the boys to Hee-Haw Farms in Pleasant Grove. It is just as fun as Cornbelly's with only a quarter of the crowd. Oliver had a great time. Wesley mostly slept except when we woke him up for a picture. We will be back!

• Bluey and Baby Pumpkin had fun trick-or-treating. Mom and Dad had fun eating their spoils after they went to bed. 

November

• We blessed Wesley the first weekend of November. Kiersten's recording of the blessing didn't work and he peed all over his outfit before we got a picture, but we still love him. (We took another picture a month later of him in his outfit).

• We celebrated Thanksgiving with Jason's family at Dayna and Andrew's house in Hyrum. 

December

• Kiersten was officially hired as the lab manager for the lab she's been volunteering with all year. She essentially does the same work, just more of it, and now she gets paid. Oliver and Wesley do daycare at Grandma Laura's and are loving it. 
• We saw the lights at Luminaria with Jason's family. Oliver loved it! This might have to be our Temple Square replacement for the next few years. 

• Jason and Kiersten took a pottery class with Kiersten's work friend Martina and her partner. Jason had lots of fun showing off his skills. 

• We had an Olson family Christmas party. 

• We celebrated Jason's 27th birthday in Moab at the condo his company owns. Jason was able to visit Arches for the first time in his life. Kiersten's parents babysat the boys. Wesley mostly behaved but did not sleep well for them. Hopefully they will still want to babysit in the future. 

• We celebrated Christmas with Kiersten's family in Lake Point. 

We are tired, but happy with all the new developments. Happy New Year!