And just like that, another year has come and gone. 2023 was our first full year of home ownership which brought us challenges and surprises. After a somber winter with the passing of my dear aunt, the spring surprised us with beautiful white and pink blooms from the lilac bush outside our bedroom window. Spring also brought us what Kyle called our “seven plagues” – namely ants, termites, fruit flies, bottle flies, spiders, mold, and crabgrass – but we could have done without that. In March, we traveled to Arizona exploring Tucson, Sedona, Phoenix, and Scottsdale, and two new-to-us national parks, Saguaro and Petrified Forest – bringing our total parks visited up to 32. And for those keeping track at home, we still haven’t been to the Grand Canyon – maybe in 2025?
In the summer, we had the roof replaced over our sunroom as it had effectively become a giant bird bath, sorry to our bird friends. On a whim, I half haphazardly planted 5+ varieties of cosmos along our sidewalk against the garage and they quickly consumed my entire summer – from deadheading and pruning, to making bouquets, to harvesting seeds, to pressing the flowers (in the flower press Kyle made me), to creating art with the dried flowers, to taking hundreds of pictures to document the whole process. I had so much fun watching them grow over 10 feet tall, far above the roofline of the garage. I’m excited to share and plant the thousands of seeds I harvested this season around our home next summer.
In July, our family unit of two expanded by four paws as we welcomed Bohdi, a 10-12 year old orange cat from Kuwait, into our home after the passing of his elderly companion, Bob. I quickly fell into the crazy cat lady role, spending my free time hunting in Goodwill for the perfect handmade blankets and cozy baskets to set around the house to make Bohdi feel at home – Kyle affectionately calls these my “Goodwill purchases of the year.” Bohdi’s favorite basket spots are on Kyle’s desk next to his computer and in the bay window in our kitchen, two great spots for sunbathing and bird watching. On July 15th, I celebrated my 30th birthday, and it was no small event, just ask Kyle. The day began with a lovely brunch hosted by Kyle for me and 5 of my closest friends followed by a backyard barbeque (featuring Kyle’s famous smoked pulled pork) where I was joined by friends from all walks of life – middle school, high school, college, graduate school, and work!
The fall brought us football Saturdays spent tailgating for UT and Michigan games, football Sundays filled with homemade chilis, soups, and stews, The Golden Bachelor watch parties complete with wine and cheese, and of course cool weather which gave Kyle the excuse to level up our yard games which got great use during his 30th birthday party – another backyard barbeque featuring corn hole, can jam, and beersbee.
As we roll in winter, I’m quickly reminded how difficult it is to keep houseplants alive that were once thriving in our sunroom over the summer. Kyle has just finished his second semester of nursing school and continues to work part time as a paramedic for Promedica in their transport network. I’m currently working full time as a physical therapist between two long term care facilities (nursing homes) between Sylvania and Oregon which keeps me busy all year round.
In May of 2024, Kyle and I will celebrate our 10 year anniversary and are planning a road trip out west – unfortunately I don’t think we can swing 3 months this time around. Kyle and I are excited for an upcoming title change in the spring to aunt and uncle as my brother James and sister in law Rikki will be welcoming their first child early May. Kyle will graduate from nursing school from Owens Community College in December 2024 and is already excitedly planning a well earned vacation to celebrate! Next year we hope to tackle the exterior of the house, start a vegetable garden, plant native wildflowers, and get to another national park or two!
Until next time , Meryn
MERYN MADE 
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