Greetings from the Mullis Family!
After considerable discussion, Dad has finally agreed to embrace the new opportunities that technology offers by developing this blog. The first attempt focused on recent feedback that the annual letters to friends may not be of particular interest to the reader. While accepting that possibility, he insisted that a couple of folks might be interested and that the tradition should continue for those few who might like to keep up with the family….the rest of the folks could always trash the letter.
The second attempt focused on the fact that it was a lot of work to write the letter and get it sent by Christmas. As justification for this, he was reminded that due to spending Christmas in Las Vegas last year as a family, a letter was not sent in 2009 and the world seemed to survive without it. Also, the Christmas letter rarely arrived to anyone’s home before New Year’s Day. Yes, he agreed…the world did survive and it is a lot of work but there still might be a few people who would like to keep track of certain family members and they wouldn’t mind if the letter was a little late.
Finally, Dad was informed about the possibility of creating a blog where interested parties could actually read up on the Mullis activities and those who were not interested would just receive a holiday greeting. Additionally, he could update the blog throughout the year and include more pictures and less writing. Being intrigued by this possibility, Jennifer helped him get the blog created and now he is thoroughly converted to the concept.
So, if you are reading this you must be one of the few who are interested in Mullis activities. We thank you for your interest and welcome any feedback. Also, feel free to check the blog from time to time as Dad plans to keep it updated throughout the year. We do hope you have a great holiday and a terrific 2011.
2010 Highlights
Perhaps the big news of 2010 for the Mullis Family was the marital status of the oldest Mullis sibling changed from single to married. Yes, Jason (31) ended his search for an awesome companion by marrying Jodi Skeel in November. Both are lawyers so it will be interesting to hear about how the family arguments are handled. Hopefully, Jason has learned from Dad just to say, “Yes, dear!” Unfortunately, we hear the legal mind has some real problems with that approach.
We are excited to have Jodi in the family. She really fits well into the family chemistry and she already knows how to handle Jason….something the rest of the world can’t do very well. They reside in Phoenix, Arizona. Here are some pictures from the event of the decade!
The next exciting news of the year was the engagement of Eric (24) and Marinda Morgan. This was announced just about a week ago. They have been an item for about a year but Jason and Eric made a bet that the other one would be married first. This created a bottle-neck in Dad and Mom’s plans to get them married off. Finally, Dad agreed to pay the $20 bet if one would do something. Since Jason didn’t want to take the risk of waiting any longer and losing Jodi, he accepted the gesture and proposed to Jodi. Immediately after Jason said, “I do”, Dad handed a $20 bill to Eric. This enabled Eric to move forward with his plans.
For the last semester, Eric has been in Washington DC on an internship and Marinda has been in Ghana on an internship as well. While they were unable to see other from August until December, technology enabled them to communicate often. Marinda returned to the states by going through Washington DC whereupon both Eric and Marinda went to New York City for a couple of days. Unbeknownst to Marinda, but known to some of the other family members because Jason began to spread the word, Eric had purchased a ring while home for Jason’s wedding. He presented this to Marinda during the New York City adventure at the Rockefeller Center. We hear from Eric that she readily accepted and no arm twisting was necessary. At this point, they plan to wed in Portland, Oregon (Marinda is from Washington state) on June 24, 2011. It is great to see this come to the logical conclusion as the girls had already accepted Marinda into the family. Eric would not have been very popular with them if he hadn’t done the right thing.
Eric is looking to graduate in about a year and is studying Political Science at BYU.
With the oldest four Mullis siblings married or soon to be married, the focus now turns to child number 5….Ryan (23). He returned from serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Malaga, Spain last December. Dad has consistently told the returned missionaries that they should not make any marital commitment until they have been home for one year. Having passed this threshold and with Eric’s plans in place, Ryan is free to find the right young lady and move forward. Unfortunately, he seems to be enjoying his current single life style a little too much. Some have put forth that his younger sister, Mandi who is finishing her senior year in high school, may beat him to the altar. Dad was not happy with this comment on many levels and insisted that those comments be stricken from the record.
Overall, Ryan continues to progress in the transition from missionary life to student. He is attending Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah and is planning to major in English and Music. Mom and Dad enjoy having Eric and Ryan nearby as they provide a lot of help in keeping the girls in line and they are also good travel buddies.
Shaun (29) and Melanie continue to reside in Rhode Island with their two sons, Landon and Caden. They were able to join the family at the reunion in July and for Jason's wedding. Shaun works in IT and recently began his Master's degree. Between work, teaching classes, school, church callings and family, Shaun stays pretty busy. Melanie tries to keep a handle on Landon and Caden's activities which is more than a full time job. She also tries to fit in some modeling too. Landon has been traveling a lot this year and has really enjoyed flying with his Grandpa Rehon. Not sure Grandpa has had the same level of enjoyment. Caden is really starting to grow up and, like his brother, is really smart and not afraid to get in trouble. Dad says that Shaun is definitely getting his payback and he hopes Jason will have the same opportunity...very soon.
The next "married with children" is Jennifer (27) and Jason. They live in Utah a few miles from Dad and Mom. It is good to have some grandchildren around. Kiera and Rylan provide the Grandma with a lot of good experiences and they love to visit Grandma's house. Of course, Grandma thinks it has more to do with the fact that the Aunts are a lot of fun rather than Grandma being a lot of fun. Jennifer stays pretty busy chasing behind them but also enjoyed going with Dad to some of the BYU football and basketball games. Kiera also joined them on a few occasions which added to the entertainment level. She has progressed in learning the BYU fight song. Dad things it is much better than Lady Gaga. Rylan is following in his Dad's footsteps...chocolate, ice cream, and pizza. Seems like he is getting his paybacks as well. Jason is also working on his Master's degree so he also stays busy with work, school, church and family. Fortunately, Jennifer keeps things moving at home and does enjoy having Mom and Dad and sisters nearby.
Shaun (29) and Melanie continue to reside in Rhode Island with their two sons, Landon and Caden. They were able to join the family at the reunion in July and for Jason's wedding. Shaun works in IT and recently began his Master's degree. Between work, teaching classes, school, church callings and family, Shaun stays pretty busy. Melanie tries to keep a handle on Landon and Caden's activities which is more than a full time job. She also tries to fit in some modeling too. Landon has been traveling a lot this year and has really enjoyed flying with his Grandpa Rehon. Not sure Grandpa has had the same level of enjoyment. Caden is really starting to grow up and, like his brother, is really smart and not afraid to get in trouble. Dad says that Shaun is definitely getting his payback and he hopes Jason will have the same opportunity...very soon.
Next on the list is Mandi (18). She seems to be enjoying her senior year, especially the proms and dances. She is also working part time at a clothes store which keeps her up to date on all of the current fashions. While she is planning to go to college and study nursing, she hasn’t got around to applying to a college yet. That’s next on the agenda. With Mandi’s departure to college, there will be two kids left at home….this hasn’t happened since 1983. Kristyn (14) is in the 9th grade but not yet in high school according to the Utah school system. That doesn’t seem to bother her too much. She continues to work on her violin and piano. Dad continues to be impressed with how well she plays. The family also enjoys debates between Mom and Kristyn. Not real sure who the winner is but it does provide some interesting entertainment….at least for a few minutes. Kristyn also enjoys having her friends over at least once a week for a night of “Glee”. Her sense of humor continues to have a big influence in the family and she has enjoyed hanging out with her Grandma.
Kari (11) continues to run things around the house. She is in the 6th grade and seems to actually enjoy school when she is able to go. Just during the first 4 months, she broke her wrist playing soccer, missed another two weeks with various illnesses, and had a few other maladies requiring a couple of days out of school. Dad tells her that if she continues her track record, she will have a chance to do the 6th grade again. Kari is also enjoying her role as “Aunt Kari”. She spends a lot of time playing with Kiera and Rylan when they are around which is fairly frequent. Kari is also taking violin and piano lessons.
As far Mom, she pulls it altogether. She spent the last part of the year making dresses for the girls so they could be in Jason’s wedding. Earlier, she helped plan the big Jensen Reunion only to have all of the plans go down the drain due to a storm destroying the campsite a couple of days before the reunion. Fortunately, she has learned how to adapt and be flexible. With the help of her siblings, new activities were planned and everyone seemed to have a great time afterall. She, the girls and Ryan will be heading to Jasper on the 26th to help Linda Avant pack and move. She has become quite the cross country traveler. Mom continues to focus her time and energy on keeping the house clean…spotless…and keeping up with laundry and being a taxi service. Kiera and Rylan also enjoy coming to Grandma’s house and helping her with her house cleaning.
Dad has embarked on a new adventure. In July, he left his job due to a restructuring and is now a free agent HR executive looking for a new opportunity. Then in September, Grandma was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had to have surgery. In November, she started chemo and has completed 3 of the 6 rounds. Fortunately, Dad has been able to take care of Grandma during this period. He usually goes to house every day and takes her to the church so she can walk. He has become very good at running errands for both Grandma and Mom. In October, Dad went to visit Shaun, Melanie, Landon and Caden for a few days and then met Mom and the girls in Washington DC for a Fall vacation. Eric, who as there on an internship, was a great tour guide. Dad’s Aunt Patsy, came out and stayed with Grandma for a few weeks while the family was out of town. He is looking forward to her coming out again after the first of the year so he can be around. Aunt Patsy is a great cook and a lot of fun to bother. Other than that, Dad tries to play golf, look for jobs, stay out of Mom’s way, and do anything that Mom wants him to do. Hopefully, the job prospects will improve after the first of the year…for both Mom and Dad’s sakes.
Dad has embarked on a new adventure. In July, he left his job due to a restructuring and is now a free agent HR executive looking for a new opportunity. Then in September, Grandma was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had to have surgery. In November, she started chemo and has completed 3 of the 6 rounds. Fortunately, Dad has been able to take care of Grandma during this period. He usually goes to house every day and takes her to the church so she can walk. He has become very good at running errands for both Grandma and Mom. In October, Dad went to visit Shaun, Melanie, Landon and Caden for a few days and then met Mom and the girls in Washington DC for a Fall vacation. Eric, who as there on an internship, was a great tour guide. Dad’s Aunt Patsy, came out and stayed with Grandma for a few weeks while the family was out of town. He is looking forward to her coming out again after the first of the year so he can be around. Aunt Patsy is a great cook and a lot of fun to bother. Other than that, Dad tries to play golf, look for jobs, stay out of Mom’s way, and do anything that Mom wants him to do. Hopefully, the job prospects will improve after the first of the year…for both Mom and Dad’s sakes.
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