Royal Family Times

A Holly Jolly Royal Family Christmas

December 2023

Royal Strong and True (June 2023)

Happy 40 years of perfect marital bliss! Maralea and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary in April 2023. Our family had a reunion in June 2023 at a place in St. George called Desert Color which was awesome. We absolutely love getting together with our family. It is so much fun watching our 14 grandchildren play together when we have family gatherings. They are all so incredibly precious. We love attending their sporting events, concerts, primary programs, and seeing them all dressed up in BYU blue.

Speaking of blue, this was not a banner year for BYU football, but that did not keep us away from Provo in the fall as attending games with our family is THE BEST! Maralea and I traveled to Lawrence, KS for the BYU/Kansas game in September and had a blast (even in a loss). (It is hard to win when you give the ball away three times - all of which result in touchdowns. But hey - we still had fun.)

We lost our Royal family patriarch, Dad (Flemming Fuller Royal), in October. Dad suffered from dementia in his final years and it was very difficult to watch a man so dedicated to gaining knowledge and teaching others lose his cognitive skills. We are comforted in knowing that our Royal parents are finally reunited after eight-and-a-half years of separation. (Mom passed away in May 2015.) Dad’s memory is now fully restored and our parents are once again making plans for our next family Christmas Eve dinner and variety show (beyond the veil). Maralea and I are deeply grateful for parents who taught us to live as disciples of Jesus Christ and led us to reach for and receive blessings of immeasurable magnitude. We have been richly blessed to have been raised by “goodly parents.”

Our wonderful parents,
July 1957

Dad’s obituary can be found at:

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/las-vegas-nv/flemming-royal-11494309

Dad’s final testimony can be found at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BAuX3VaNQCjWXqU_lb7xQlU1ZD2aRFcg/view

We love celebrating life, remembering wonderful moments, and counting blessings (which are all around us even in the most challenging of life circumstances). Below is an update on how our family is doing, with pictures - preserving memories from 2023.

Michael and Maralea (Da Royals)

Maralea and I continue working together at Royal & Miles LLP (going on 10 years). (Her boss will not allow her to leave.) Maralea decided in October that we needed to replace our Christmas tree (which we have used for about 20 years), which she ordered online. Upon its arrival, Maralea insisted that we put it together “to make sure all of the lights work.” I agreed to do that so long as the tree would not return to its box until January (since Papa no likey having to wrestle with a Christmas tree more than once a year). So, in 2023 we had a Halloween tree, a Thanksgiving tree, and a Christmas tree. (I actually think a Valentine’s tree would be nice.)

We love our BYU football trips, even though BYU’s inaugural season in the BIG-12 was a bit on the rough side. We cherish every moment cheering with our family: “Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! ... Go Cougars!!!!!!” Maralea continues to serve in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the South Coordinating Council Communications Director on the Public Affairs Committee for the Las Vegas Valley. (She really has the coolest, most important-sounding calling title EVER!) I continue serving in the ward Elders Quorum Presidency. We are still trying to get Maralea to write her My Life Before Mike story. Perhaps we will get that done in 2024.

Brad & Whitney Family (The Royals)

These Royals had a fun travel year that included an extended trip to Japan in the fall. When it comes to family vacations, this group embodies the following Beach Boys’ song: “‘Round, ‘round, get around, [they] get around.” And when they are not traveling the world, they love their life in Cedar Hills, UT.

Brad decided that his life wasn't interesting enough, so he bought a coconut farm in Costa Rica. (Does anyone recall the Donny and Marie Osmond movie from 1978 called, “Goin’ Coconuts”?) Brad is considering sending his kids there for a summer of work and learning Spanish. Brad still works for Qualified, snowboards as often as possible, loves to surf, enjoys playing basketball, likes reading, loves playing drums for his band, Lighten Up Francis, and loves being a dad.

Whitney continues to work at BYU with professors who teach an EMBA class. Whitney joined Lighten Up Francis as a bass player in 2023 after the former bass player quit. Whitney simply picked up a bass and thought: “How hard can it be?” She started learning to play and then became THE band’s bass player. The band has released several original songs and played 15 shows in 2023. Their Royal children are faithful groupies who love to watch them play when they can - especially Mila. Whitney loves serving with the young women in the ward - and has so much fun that she occasionally gets in more trouble than the girls.

Beckham (12) is in the sixth grade. He was ordained a deacon in January 2023 and has enjoyed being in the Young Men’s Program of the Church (and out of primary with all of those little kids). Beckham loves snowboarding, playing tackle football, rock climbing, and playing the piano. He is very ambitious, having earned enough money to buy a Switch (that his parents rarely let him play).

Zoe (10) is in the fifth grade. She loves being an older sister. Zoe loves to draw and enjoys reading (especially to her young siblings). She is a good big sister who loves playing games with her younger brother and sister. Zoe loves to ski (as opposed to snowboarding), rock climb, play the piano, sing and she started theater this fall (her group will be performing in The Little Mermaid).

Kai (5) is a constant ball of energy with a deep curiosity about everything in the world around him. He loves playing outside and gathering up all the leftover tree branches, wood, and other stuff that most people throw away so that he can make things like airplanes out of them. Kai is the first child to receive stitches for an injury, splitting his chin open TWICE this year which resulted in fun ER visits.

Mila (3) discovered how much she loves princesses this year. Her wardrobe includes a different colored dress for each princess and she typically refuses to wear anything else. (She has become a self-classically trained princess dress spinner.) Mila runs around with Kai, assisting him with his shenanigans. She also loves to dance - especially to songs by her favorite group, Lighten Up Francis.

Craig and Kelli Family (The Friedels)

Craig and Kelli stay busy with work, caring for their home and family, and serving in their respective ward callings. Craig continues to serve as a ward clerk and Kelli served as a Sunbeam teacher in primary until just recently being released. Craig continues working at Solomon Dwiggins & Freer, Ltd., and will begin 2024 as a partner. Craig loves being anxiously engaged in a good house project. Kelli stays incredibly busy as Mommy, loves to sing when she can, and is ready to exchange the family van for something much cooler (and newer) in 2024 (a girl can dream, can’t she?)

Royal (11) is in the sixth grade. He played basketball and flag football, and plans on playing volleyball in the spring. Royal gave up the piano (for the time being) and is now playing the saxophone in the school band (and had his first concert this month). Royal was introduced to Napoleon Dynamite in 2023. He was not initially impressed but then became such a fan that he dressed up as Rex Kwon Do for Halloween. Royal attended a couple of BYU home football games with his cousins and friend Finn. He loves the Cougars.

Finley (7) is in the first grade. He played soccer in the spring and flag football in the fall. Finley manages to create fun out of any situation. His imagination is off the charts and he is never bored. He and his little sister Monroe seem to be in a perpetual state of play and adventure. Together they have put about 100,000 miles on Nana and Papa’s wiggle cars. Finley’s favorite color is red (even though Papa wishes it were BYU blue). He loves being part of the Friedel family team.

Monroe (4) is in pre-school. She loves to sing and dance. Monroe is in a dance studio and is in a group named Singer’s Company where she learns songs combined with dancing. Monroe also loves dolls, dressing as a princess, and being a big sister. Monroe also has taken on the role of Second Mom which includes bossing her older brothers around. (It works like this. Kelli: “Boys, please make sure your room is cleaned up.” Monroe: “Boys, go get your room cleaned up.” Boys to Monroe: “You’re not our mom.” Room: Still needs to be cleaned up.)

Lennon (2) celebrated her second birthday last month. Lennon wants to have conversations with the rest of us so badly. She has her own special language. Lennon loves to sing songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and finds a way to sing other songs that strike her fancy. Lennon got her first stitches recently when she had a fall from jumping a bit too much on the bed (like those five little monkeys), but recovered nicely. She is very good at mimicking faces she sees in pictures, videos, and in person. Lennon also loves to dance and has already incorporated some awesome moves into her repertoire.

David and Kambria Family (The Royals)

These Royals continue to enjoy family life in Riverton, UT. They attended multiple family reunions last summer, including the Royal family reunion at Desert Color. The children were introduced to camping in the backyard with their dad, the girls got a special trip to Disneyland (shhhh, the boys are not supposed to know), the family got to do some skiing in Paragonah, and the kids loved sledding at Soldier Mountain.

David continues to work for nCino and was recently promoted to the position of product manager. David serves in the Elders Quorum Presidency in his ward. He coached Aubrey’s volleyball team in the fall, which went undefeated. David took up boxing as a hobby and became so involved in the local gym that he was offered an opportunity to become a boxing coach next year. (Kambria gave David the Best Dad and Husband of the Year Award.)

Kambria enjoys baking and cooking. She had a blast on a special Halloween Disney trip with David in October (just the two of them). (That was a separate Disneyland trip from the one with the girls in November.) Kambria loves being home with the kids, enjoys skiing at Brian Head, and is presently serving as the ward primary chorister.

Aubrey (10) is making great progress on the piano and recently received high marks in a piano competition. (She loves learning new songs.) Aubrey loved playing volleyball with her dad as the coach and played soccer on a competition team. She loves reading and drawing. Aubrey enjoys riding four-wheelers, rock climbing, and constantly reading new books.

Macie (8) is sooooo excited for her baptism in January! She is growing up super fast. Macie performed on a dance competition team. She enjoys playing the piano, loves her American doll, is an amazing budding artist, has fun catching fish, and is constantly making new friends. Macie loves playing mother to her little brothers, who enjoy spending hours surfing on the wave of their older sister’s vivid imagination.

Benson (4) is becoming quite the swimmer and loves Cowabunga Bay. He fell in love with Nightmare Before Christmas in 2023 and his best friend is a toy skeleton he named Bones that Benson takes everywhere with him. Benson absolutely loves garbage day and goes around the neighborhood closing garbage lids. He also enjoys working in the yard - especially the garden.

Ryder (2), keeps everyone very busy! He climbs on everything and loves stuffed animals. Ryder enjoys going on walks and being outdoors. His favorite game is Hide ‘N’ Seek. Ryder also loves bath time. He received a balance bike for his birthday and is quickly becoming a master cyclist. Ryder has a fun personality and loves to laugh.

Jordan and Ashlee Family (The Royals)

Jordan and Ashlee celebrated their second anniversary of living in their Lehi home and love residing close to the Greenwood clan. Jordan continues working as an SEO Marketing Specialist at Nifty Marketing. Ashlee stays busy as a Mommy and loves to bake (she will even make the occasional wedding cake). The family also enjoyed an extended trip to Disneyland in April and basked in the joy of being at The Happiest Place On Earth. They visited Yellowstone and the kids loved Bear World (where they got to pet lots of animals). They sadly said goodbye to their black Ford Expedition after it died in Mesquite and could not be resuscitated. After installing a new sprinkler system and a new lawn, they got a cat named Lenny to keep the gophers in check. So far all Lenny has done is invite all of the neighborhood cats over to hang out. (Maybe the cat pack will collectively take on the gophers. Stay tuned.)

Reese (4) is in her second year at Beyond the Books Preschool and absolutely loves school. She got her 2023 sports fix by attending a basketball clinic early in the year and closed it out by attending her first BYU football game EVER with Nana and Papa Royal. (Reese sings the BYU Cougar Fight Song as good as anyone!) She had her first dance recital in December and loved it. Reese also loves rock climbing (she scaled her first rock wall alone in 2023) and likes bringing puppets to life. Reese enjoys serving others while singing: “I’m on the highway to help!” (Did we mention that Reese loves to sing?)

Madden (2) loves being two and has yet to meet a ball he does not want to throw. Madden is talking more and more. He also loves garbage trucks. His favorite time of the week is garbage day. Madden will stop everything he is doing anytime, anywhere when a garbage truck comes around. He seems to have overcome his fear of skeletons after figuring out that zebras kind of look like horsey skeletons and they are super nice.

We are deeply grateful for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and His miraculous Atonement, His sacrifice on the cross, and His resurrection that opened the way for all to be cleansed from sin, and to live forever in perfection with loved ones in our glorious Heavenly Home. As the world pauses to remember Him in December, let us be diligent in always remembering Him daily throughout the year. True and lasting happiness is found in faithfully following Him. Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Below are more pictures from 2023 that help us count our blessings.

Pine Valley snow day

Pine Valley New Year's Eve

We Found Danny Ainge at the
WCC Tournament in Vegas

Papa's gotta brand new band

We finally made it to Hawaii . . . and it rained (a lot)

And Nana and Papa went all crazy Haka

On west Maui we found Lanai

Lanai 1977 (left, with Bob Poole), Lanai 2023

Papa played basketball for the first time in years
(and didn't die)

Hanging out with Beckham and Madden

Papa TV time

Got a visit from Danny and Mike Adams

Independence Day Night

Pioneer Day quartet

Always fun watching our
grandchildren kick it around

Madden's birthday was A-okay

Park City window provided Mar
with a perfect backdrop

Leona moved to Bountiful in 2023 and
our visits have been fun

We got to watch Lighten Up Francis perform in Utah

Who's ready for some burgers and shakes?

Lounging at Seven Peaks

Macie and Benson with some whiteboard magic

We caught up with Cody after too many years apart

A grandkids birthday visit

Maralea with perfect Cornhole form

BYU v. Sam Houston

At Lawrence, Kansas

Go Cougars!

BYU v. Texas Tech

Our new Christmas tree went up
in October and stayed up through 2023

Saying goodbye to Dad - October 30, 2023

Cousin swim day

Silly/slick/sick fun fam pic

Zoe birthday hang

Lighten Up Francis

Leaders of the pack

The Cedar Hills crew

Mila takes family pic inventory

Rub-dub-dub three grandchildren in a hot tub

In 'N' Out Burger was Kai's birthday cuisine of choice

Daddy/daughter time

Beckham game time

Some of Beckham's football fans

Sibling dust-up

Twinsies and a princess

Papa family selfie

Mila with the girl twirl

Pizza break

Whitney mommy multi-tasking

Kai takes off in three . . . two . . . one . . .

Cousin Chuck came from Virginia to
attend Dad's funeral

Look who turned two!

Lady Cougs

Papa and Reese love all things BYU!

Royal and his friend Finn
on BYU campus

These three cousins from among two
more than a dozen

Cougars game time!

"Y" we take game BYU pictures

Five minutes to kickoff

Our favorite family picture backdrop

These girls wear sunglasses at night

These kids are ready to roll

Papa handled this game with
little Cougars on his own

Rain, wind, sleet or snow - we still to BYU games will go

Brian Higbee joined us for the
Oklahoma game

Royal Guy Cougs

On the march to Lavell Edwards Stadium

Lawrence, Kansas

Special Papa/Royal road trip

Preparing for a family picture at Dad's funeral

Benson saying his last goodbye to Great-Grandpa Royal

Paying our last respects to
Great-Grandpa Royal

Putting Dad to rest

David accompanies and sings harmony
with Aubrey in January

Okay, which of these three will get to
press the elevator button?

Sweet sisters

Why is Papa always taking pictures?

Benson discovers that Nana and Papa
can do silly poses, too

You said to say cheese,
not to keep my eyes open

We had a chance to watch Macie perform
her amazing Monkey dance

A pic of three which includes Aubrey

Macie and Benson are always down
with the playground

Nana and Ryder

Brother beach time

Riverton Royals

It's sister paddle time

Kambria and Beckham chill at
Madden's birthday party

Park City Royal family swim

I'm looking through you

A visit to see Great Grandma Kelly

Nana loves sharing fun things from her phone

David helps Macie with a
primary talk

One of these Cougars is not like the other

Aubrey loves winning at Skyjo

Benson takes good care of his buddy Bones

Happy Halloween from the Riverton crew

Macie makes Papa work for a smile

Ryder turned two

Coach David led his volleyball team to an
undefeated season

Ryder's birthday cake (baked by Ashlee)

Three generations of pretty women

Cousin sleepover

Father/son yard work

Visual proof supporting Macie's fish story

Macie helps Ryder at the splash pad

Beach boys and gals

Lennon floats on Mommy's tube boat

Reunion cousins make birthday signs for
the family picture activity

Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me

Beach bums

Cousins hard at work

The beach was cool - but so was the pool

Lennon was digging the beach

Reese, Roe, and Nana
prepare for the camera

Beach girls from the shore

Beach girls once more

They got it made in the shade

The two oldest Royal cousins rule the breakfast table

Finally, the adults get to have some fun

Papa and his puppets

Beauty means pain (haha)

Family volleyball time is serious

Our two oldest granddaughters take on breakfast

Family reunion meal time was the best

Things were always okay around
the family buffet

Aunt Kelli with niece pedicure time

Who is the strongest?

Reese loves singing the Cougar fight song with Papa

Reese really, really loves
her birthday present

Madden earrs "Best Hair" Award

Fun with Mommy

The train was insane

Nana and Papa summer camp

Nanny hug

Papa puppet time

Winner, winner, Wilkinson Center

Queen of snakes

Swing, Swing, Swing

Saratoga Springs Temple open house

Somebody had to mow a lot of grass
to make this picture happen

In the Navy . . .

Madden The Car Czar

White Rover, white Rover
send these kids right over

Happy birthday, Madden!

Cosmo house call

Vising Grandma Kelly

Welcome y'all

Hangin' out

Fun visiting Royals in Riverton

Church hike

Autumn leaves all over the sleeves

Food is slightly finer at this Lehi diner

Three's company

Dancing Queen

Family cheer!

Newsies!

Lennon loves Nana

Royal does his Puka impression - snagging six

Royal's happy birthday

Kelli's happy birthday (she likes pie)

A Nielsen's Custard stop

Monroe and Lennon wearing
their Mommy's dresses

Easter Egg hunt/haul

Easter Sunday

Three generations of angels

Monroe birthday shopping spree

Three Free-dells on wheels

Hey, why's the front door open?

Finley pre-school grad day

Sunday dinner with the Free-Dells

Provo Stadium of Fire

Sitting in a fireworks foxhole

Independence Day

Mt. Charleston hike

The survivors

Finley's birthday

Easy riders

The Friedel fam's latest

Downtown Summerlin Christmas parade

"Y" not?

Turkey tike

Vegas Thanksgiving Extravaganza

Candy game was anything but lame

Thanksgiving

Mila is ready to decorate some cookies

Kai with the ping-pong overhead slam

Play us a song you're the piano kids

Aubrey's Thanksgiving recital

Family Turkey Bowl

50% of our grandchildren -
Thanksgiving craft project time

Our little muppets with their brown bag puppets

Gym games

Head-on collision avoided with cheese

Hotel swim break for birthday cake

Sunday dress with some of our best

Kambria, Ashlee, and Jordan stop by
Riverton after church

Who's up for s'mores?

A few of our night crew

Three generation rock climb time

Lennon exploring with Ryder beside her

Madden's birthday gathering

The kids' table

Sandlot tots

Aubrey loves sunglasses
(can you tell?)

Phone taking pics like a drone

Our two youngest grandchildren love their animals

Our two oldest grandchildren - Beckham and Royal

Grandchildren and great-grandchildren sing
"A Child's Prayer" at Dad's funeral service

Royal & Beckham can't quite
ditch the "Switch"

Royal endures a Papa historical tour of Provo.
(See that big evergreen tree behind us? Just beyond that was
where Nana and Papa had their first kiss.)