Happy Birthday to Garrett!

 Garrett is turning 26 this month! Garrett has been a cheerful addition to our family. He is rarely in a bad mood. He really enjoys people--I remember when I took him for a well-child checkup at the age of 4 months, the pediatrician was amazed at how engaged Garrett was in looking at him and being social. As a boy, Garrett enjoyed playing soccer, learning German, making structures with K'nex and Legos, playing games with his brothers and other friends, and, of course, playing computer games. He also loved reading, especially fantasy. He enjoyed marching band, playing the French horn, and running track in high school. I was always amazed at his good attitude on his mission to Ukraine. Now as an adult, he has many admirable qualities such as hard-working, faithful, and good father and husband. We are happy to have Garrett in our family!

Garrett, 2 weeks

One strong memory I have of Garrett as a newborn was how much he loved to stay up at night. It was making me crazy since I couldn't sleep in with two other little boys. Finally, I just started waking him up at 7am so he would be ready to go to sleep at a reasonable hour.

Age 5 months

Age 1

Garrett with his brothers, about age 1

A memory I have of Garrett is when I flew out from Maryland to Utah to attend my brother's wedding. I took Garrett with me while Scott stayed home with the older two. On the way back, Garrett was unhappy so I kept giving him bottles of milk. At the Dulles Airport, at the bottom of the escalator, Garrett emptied his very full stomach all over the floor--turns out he had stomach flu. It was a scene to remember. 

Age 2, in front of Washington, DC temple

Garrett, about 18 months, with the measuring cups he loved to carry around. Sometimes he used them as weapons. They were very useful.

Garrett, age 2, with Jan, age 4

Garrett, in his Superman costume

Another memory I have of Garrett is him wearing this old cape my mother made a long time ago and which my little brothers wore. He wore it everywhere. When we went on vacation a few months after this picture, he wore it on the plane and everyone thought it was really cute.

Age 3--in downtown DC for the Cherry Blossom festival

Age 5

Age 6

Garrett and Lincoln are just 17 months apart in age and were always good friends. I was so glad they enjoyed playing together. They ended up being close to the same size for a lot of years since Garrett was pretty short for his age--Garrett didn't really like that. 

Age 7

Age 8

Baptism

Age 9

Garrett with his brothers, age 10

Shortly after the trampoline picture, we moved to Germany for a year. It was hard for everybody at first--the boys had to learn German quickly since that's what they heard at school. But Garrett adapted and made new friends and started his love of learning new languages.

Turning 11, Germany

Turning 11

Age 12

When we got back from Germany, Garrett started learning the French horn and played in the junior high band. He cheerfully dragged the French horn back and forth to school on this little cart we bought for it until we started renting a second French horn for him to use at school. He also kept playing the piano and did the duet festival with Lincoln.

Age 13

Almost 14--somehow Garrett avoided getting any pictures with his braces on. He didn't have to do the full treatment like the other kids did but he did have braces and the expander.

Almost 15

These are classic Garrett poses. He joined the marching band in 2009 and really enjoyed it.

Getting ready for a date dance with his friend, age 16

Getting his Eagle at our triple Eagle Court of Honor

At the Foothill 3K which he won thanks to his track training (and lack of competition), May 2012

At high school graduation, age 17, 2012

In Boston! Age 18

Age 18, almost 19--right before he left on his mission to Ukraine

This is a picture of what Garrett had to wear for 6 weeks after his arm surgery. He wanted to leave on his mission right after the winter semester of BYU in 2013 but he had to get an shoulder surgery for his torn labrum first. He had a really good attitude about his arm, not complaining that I can remember, and it was great that he got to go on our big trip back East with us. He flew home from Boston so he could start physical therapy and open his mission call.

Age 19 or 20

Age 20, translating on his mission for a meeting

The triumphant homecoming (Lincoln was on his mission, David lived in Texas)

Age 21:  I love the looks on both Garrett's and Camille's faces

In the ER after breaking his jaw playing Ultimate Frisbee (the game responsible for his shoulder surgery too)

Getting his food with his jaw wired shut

In May 2016, I was getting ready to go to Everett's seminary graduation when I got a call from Garrett who thought his jaw got dislocated while (aggressively) playing Ultimate Frisbee. I quickly met him at an urgent care and decided he needed to go to the ER. I went to the graduation (Scott was out of town) while Jan was his surrogate parent at the ER. He ended up getting a jaw surgery during Everett's high school graduation--Scott was at the hospital while I went to the graduation. It was about 6 weeks of very limited eating options but Garrett was a good sport about it.

About 2 months after the jaw surgery.

Fall 2016, Garrett started dating AnnaSue Larsen who was also teaching at the MTC and they soon got serious

They got engaged at the end of April, 2017

They got married in June 2017 at the Boise Idaho Temple

Garrett and AnnaSue went abroad for the summer of 2018 and did internships in Latvia

Garrett and Lincoln walked for graduation in April 2019 with their wives although neither boy was quite finished

In June 2019, Garrett and AnnaSue became parents!

Garrett graduated from BYU in December 2019 right before he turned 25, got a job in Boston, and moved there in January 2020. They've been in Boston ever since.

Happy Birthday, Garrett!  We're really glad you are in our family.