2015 In Review

 Us

Because you are all curious: Rick is working out of town. He works in Salt Lake County, and rather than commute every day he stays in the basement of the family he works for and comes home for the weekends.

Christopher and Deleise and their dog Risu are still busy in Orem working, schooling, and performing .. Christopher with his a capella group and Deleise with her ballet and modern dance.


Ryan and Chiara adopted two beautiful rag doll cats. They live, work, and school in Logan, and they frequently visit her family in Salt Lake County.

January started out with Angela donating one of her kidneys to her co-worker. It was on inspiration, and both parties have had tremendous recovery success.  Angela's parents came to Utah to take care of the family during the first 3 weeks of recovery, for which we are all thankful. Also, thank you for all your prayers in our behalf. If you'd like to read about her experience, go to MyKidneyDonationExperience.blogspot.com.


 February, March, and July Chanelle competed American Rhythm Open with her dance partner, Braden. They made winner's circle every time they danced, and most of the time took first place. They also competed International Standard with only a few weeks' notice, and took 2nd in that.

In March Jonah and Vanessa got engaged! They are very low-key and didn't take a whole lot of pictures.


My girls: Chanelle, Deleise, Vanessa, Chiara

In April Jacob was baptized by Christopher and confirmed by Rick, Jordan was ordained a Deacon by Ryan, Aiden was ordained a Teacher by Jonah, and Jonah was ordained an Elder by Rick.



June 1 Chanelle went to Disneyland with her ballroom team and was surprised to run into Nana and Grandpa Steve there while exiting Haunted Mansion.

Vanessa and Jonah

Jonah and Vanessa were married in June. They were married in the LDS Brigham City Temple and honeymooned in a cabin at Odell Lake in Oregon. Then in November, on Thanksgiving weekend, Jonah and Vanessa announced their excitement to become parents! Their baby is due in May 2016.


July, Chanelle started her first job at a new ice cream shop in town called BJ Buckets, owned by Braden's family. Then in November, Angela quit her job as a school aide to take a job as Assistant Manager at BJ Buckets, in charge of the morning shift and marketing. 



My boys: Aiden, Ryan, Jacob, Jonah, Jordan, Christopher

September, Aiden started ballroom lessons. November, Jordan started ballroom lessons. Also in November, Chanelle started teaching private ballroom lessons to Aiden and a girl we go to church with named Kaylee. In December Aiden was moved to the top team for his age level. Jacob loves to dance, but he does not want to perform or compete, so for now he is not taking lessons. You should see Jacob shimmy! It's his favorite way to express himself!

December, after 5 1/5 years, Chanelle got her braces off!!
Also, in December, our whole family, including married kids, spent two nights and three days in a cabin at Bear Lake to celebrate Christmas on December 31, as we always do, and New Years. Here is a picture of Bear Lake from our balcony.

Christmas With The Utah Merricks

When you live too far away to visit family in another state regularly, you learn to work together to make new family traditions. We would like to share with you traditions that we have carried on throughout the past several years.

Starting the first Monday of December, we go caroling. We make a list of special people who have been especially special to our family during the year to carol to. We also have on our list several people whom we have caroled in the past and who have requested that we come back, which is quite a compliment to us. The past several years we have sung a medley of 23 traditional Christmas carols, called Christmas In About 3 Minutes, and we choose one or two other songs. This year we sang The First Noel / Pachelbel's Canon medley.

December 22 is Angela's birthday. Sometimes we get together on that day, and usually we get together the weekend closest to her birthday. Angela enjoys having her family living locally over for a hot cocoa bar. A hot cocoa bar is hot cocoa and lots of choices for stir-ins, like Orange or Peppermint essential oil, candy canes, caramel ice cream topping, ice cream, whipped topping, marshmallows, etc.

This year, 2015, Rick thought way ahead and, in September, secretly arranged with their kids for a surprise birthday party for Angela at BJ Buckets, which is an adorable ice cream parlor in the center of Logan, where Chanelle was working that night, Saturday the 19th. The Christmas music in the background at BJ Buckets served as white noise, sing-along, and a bit of dancing.

December 24 evening is dedicated to the First Christmas Story, the meaning of Christmas symbols, and the gift of Jesus Christ. This year we discussed what gifts the Spirit, Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father has each given to us. We watch Joy to the World, then we open one present, then got to sleep.

December 25 starts with opening Santa Stockings. We each eat breakfast when we are ready, which often includes some sort of overnight breakfast casserole, orange juice, and egg nog. Then we open presents. One person opens one present, then they find a gift under the tree to give to another family member to open. It doesn't have to be from them, but often it is. We all ooh and aah and sometimes play with it, then we move on to the next gift.

Christmas with the married kids is December 31. We come together for games, singing, presents, and a mad hatter's tea party. We spend the night all together and hang out the next day. Last year my friend moved out of her cabin-sytle house and put it up for sale. It was available, so she said we could have our New Year's Eve Christmas there. This year Christopher's mission president and his wife offered their Bear Lake cabin, and they said we could use it ever year. Yay!

The idea is that all the families can come to Grandma and Grandpa's house for dancing, a tea party, and gifts. Then the parents can leave for their local New Year's Eve celebration, while Grandma and Grandpa spend time with the grandkids. The parents can stay with us, go to dinner and come home early, have a late nght with free babysitting, or stay overnight somewhere. They can stay overnight with us or leave their kids with us overnight or take their kids home ovenight. No matter what they choose, everyone is invited the next morning for breakfast at Grnadma and Grandpa's house. That's our plan ... for the future.

Christmas Newsletter 2013

Here is our year in review. 

In an effort to express memorable experiences in 2013, I asked my family to finish the following sentences:

For me, the highlight of 2013 was:

Jacob - big, high snow.
Jordan - being JoJo in Seussical, Jr.
Aiden - THE Seussical, Jr. play
Chanelle - being on both the Orange and Red ballroom teams (similar to Jr. Varsity and Varsity) at Enlight Ballroom Studio.
Jonah - finishing sewing my long, black cloak (which Mom says is an invisibility cloak at night).
Angela - March... Rick got a regular job, Jordan got a lead part in Seussical, Aiden and Jordan were also in Seussical, Chanelle was in Music Man, and I spent my time looking at houses and deciding what I want to eventually buy.
Rick - completed Woodbadge, and now have a neckerchief my very own.

Something that was new in 2013:

Jacob - high, big snow.
Jordan - building snow caves.
Aiden - middle school.
Chanelle - I'm president of my Young Women class (the class includes all ages 12-18), I'm able to drive, I am able to go everywhere in Logan all by myself, and I have a new ballroom team.
Jonah - my long, black cloak.
Angela - a job.
Rick - new vehicle.

Something disappointing in 2013:

Jacob - we moved.
Jordan - leaving my 4th grade class to move.
Aiden - leaving my 6th grade friends to move.
Chanelle - my high school ballroom coaches, Christian and Hillary, moved to Florida.
Jonah - paused school.
Angela - wasn't approved for buying a house.
Rick - didn't get a house and lost my new job.

Something else good in 2013:

Jacob - we moved.
Jordan - swimming almost every day in summer.
Aiden - swimming almost every day during summer.
Chanelle - I was in Music Man in March.
Jonah - got a job.
Angela - staffed at Akela's Council.
Rick - got a regular job.

Something special to me in 2013:

Jacob - my birthday.
Jordan - summertime ballroom lessons.
Aiden - Britney (my crush in middle school)
Chanelle - told by my coaches that I did a good job.  Pleasing them is my goal and very important to me, so this was really special to me.
Jonah - my cloak.
Angela - Chanelle made up a beautiful Christmas Carol Lullaby.
Rick - went camping with Aiden and spending more time with Jonah.

Married kids in 2013:
Christopher & Deleise are both moving up in the companies they work for, continue their education at UVU, and continue in their dancing and singing hobbies.
Ryan & Chiara honeymooned on Maui, they attend USU (with a couple classes together), and Ryan secured an on-campus job.

Merry Christmas!