The Farnes Family . . .

We are not a family of many words and may not get together as often as we should, but when we get together we are sure to find a lot of fun.  It is time someone sits and writes about some of the memories we have had so they are all not forgotten.  I, Annette Farnes Van Dyke, the oldest of the 5 children of Pat and Merlin D. Farnes am writing this starting on May 18, 2013.  I will start out with a little bit about our family.  I have 1 sister and 3 brother; Rodd Merlin Farnes born May 26, 1971; Paula Farnes born April 6, 1973; Darrin Gerald Farnes born February 22, ; and Dustin Farnes born in June.

This is a picture of the whole Farnes family at the wedding of Dustin and Erika Farnes in the fall of 2005.  (Dusty is my youngest brother).  Grandma Syble and her husband Stuart AND Grandma Kate are here as well.   All 5 kids and their spouses (except Dusty's new wife Erika) are in this picture as well as all of the grandchildren except Darrin's daughter Cassidy.  It was a special family day located near Blackfoot, Idaho where Pat and Merlin have lived most of their married life. 

 

Top Row:  Janie, Sabrina F; Michelle n Darrin F.; Paula F. n Chris Riley; Grandpa Stu; Dustin; Grandpa Merlin; Lynn Van Dyke w. Annette F. n baby Jacelyn  in front of him; Rodd F. n Tina F.; Jarem; Gary and Shelly.  Front row:  Kneeling is Karyssa; Austin R; Konner; Jacob; Grandma Kate holding Sydney; Jackson on the ground in front of Grandma Syble; Kelsi on the ground in front of Grandma Pat Farnes who is holding baby Brooklyn; Jayden; Kyson and Trevor.
 

 

 We loved to visit Grandma Kate at her condo in Provo.  As kids we grew up with grandma just a few blocks away in Blackfoot, Idaho until she moved to Arizona.   Here is our dad Merlin D. with his mom Kate who is in her 90s here.  Even in her 90s Grandma would have to find something to give you to eat or a treat when you came- even when she was weak enough and using a walker.



Mom, Pat Farnes Harris is the daughter of Syble and Gerald Harris.  (Grandpa Harris died around 2011 just after her 80th bday).  She had fallen in love with Stuart Tyler who she met at the Senior Citizen Center which is went to to play while living with mom in Blackfoot ID.  She fell in love and married him  in -----.  This is a picture of Grandma Harris and Stu Tyler with Merlin D. and Pat Farnes.  It was at the funeral of Uncle Mike Harris.   Grandma Syble and Gerald had a farm in Thatcher, Idaho which was such a fun place to visit.  They raised and milked cows and did even more farming when Pat and her brother Mike and sister Gloria were young. 

This is Syble Nelson Harris Tyler and her husband Stuart Tyler not long before her death and after celebrating her 80th birthday.  They were cute together.  Stuart was in a 1-man band and led his band at the Senior Center.  He wrote music and loved to give you a free CD and a basket he weaved himself from willows.  He was a good man to Grandma and made her very happy.  She lived with him for several good years.  He didn't see well at all!







This is our family all together at Grandma Syble's funeral.  We are all here except Darrin who somehow got out of this picture.  The kids in front are Tallon F, Jackson, Jacelyn, Sydney, Austin, and Kyson with Brooklyn being in the back with her dad.  Jarem was on a mission during this time.  Lynn was the limo driver for the event. 







The cousins have a good time when we get together.  this is Jakob and Tallon and Brookly and my Jacelyn.  They don't get to see each other often enough!








My mom is a very loving person who spends a lot of her time serving; especially taking care of the needs of her husband Merlin, and her mother for the last few years of her life. 

Dad can be quite the character, but definitely adds fun times to our family and many funny memories.  He can make you laugh when you don't want to -

This is Pat and her husband Merlin at the funeral of Grandma Syble.  It was hard to see her mom go, but we know she was happy to get to the other side to be with Grandpa again.  Pat lost her sister before the death of her mom and then soon after Syble died her brother Mike died as well followed by a son of Mike. 




Pat and Merlin (mom and dad) had 5 kids.
I, Annette am the oldest.    I have 3 brothers, Rodd, Darrin and Dustin and one sister, Paula.  This picture is taken in Blackfoot, ID.  I think we were all together for a funeral, probably Grandma Syble's. Paula moved to Reno in 2006 so we together whenever she can make the trip to the cabin or to Utah and every other year for Christmas day.  (Until the kids get older and make this harder.)




This is Paula and Chris waiting for our turn at Chili's restaurant in Layton, UT where Lynn and I have lived since 1990.  We got together at Thanksgiving this year and at one point (probably after our black Friday Christmas day), all the adults went shopping.  This was around 2008-ish.

Here Tina (Rodd's wife) Dusty and Erica are waiting for dinner as well.  We like to eat when we get together and going out as a family with a break from our kids is a celebration.    


Grandma Pat likes to make sure our cute nephew and nieces Jacob, Kelsi and Cassidy come with us to our parties even if  Darrin can't get off work to come.  In the picture below we are having a birthday party for one of them at our home the year we changed our cabinets.  It wasn't too pretty at our home, but we still enjoyed the get-together! 








Annette Farnes and Lynn  Vandyke family
Jarem, Karyssa, Konner, Kyson, Jayden and Jacelyn

This was at the baptism of Jayden Van Dyke.  Grandma and Grandpa come to our children's things whenever they can and Grandma Kate was here as well.  This was a special month at our house.  Jarem graduated from High School and Jayden was baptized. 

Before our families grew up and had busy busy busy going on in their lives, we would get together for Thanksgiving and when our kids were younger Easter.  During the summer we have taken a few fun camping trips to the Redwood forest after the baptism of Sydney Riley (daughter of Paula ad Chris Riley) in Reno Nevada.  We camped in Tahoe and then went to San Francisco and up to the edge of California to the Redwoods.  This was a fun fun trip.