Janele Brown spent his 55th birthday reconnecting with the land around him. O Sister Wives star took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday to share a photo from her special day.
She first posted a photo of her outdoor gardening space in North Carolina, where she spends some of her time when she’s not in Flagstaff, Arizona.
“The North Carolina garden adventure begins (technically, I’m in the last part of the planning seasons, but that’s life, haha),” Janelle wrote.
After reposting several birthday messages from friends and family, Janelle also shared a smiling photo of herself sitting in front of what appears to be a homemade German chocolate cake.
“A little red from working in the garden,” the TLC star wrote, noting that the cake — which her daughter, Madison Brush, made — was mouthwatering.
On Monday, Janelle shared a video of herself with her new garden and flower pots, writing, “I’m going to be spending much of the summer in North Carolina with Maddie, Caleb and the kids, so Maddie and I have made big plans for a garden . I’m looking forward to learning how to grow vegetables in a climate that has such a long season and much more humidity than I’m used to.”
It’s been a challenging few months for Janelle, whose son, Garrison Brown, died by suicide in March at age 25. Garrison was one of six biological children of Janelle and her ex, Kody Brown.
Last month, Janelle took to Instagram to pay tribute to what would have been Garrison’s 26th birthday with a moving tribute video.
“Happy birthday darling,” she wrote at the time. “We missed you so much today. It’s hard to believe you’re not here anymore.”
The Brown family has grown apart in recent years following Christine, Janelle and Meri Brown’s split from Kody. Kody’s relationship with his only remaining wife, Robin Brownand his alleged favoritism towards her also caused friction between the former polygamist and his older children.
This has been fully documented in Sister Wivesparticularly her fractured relationship with her sons, Garrison and Gabriel.
ET spoke with Janelle and Christine in November 2023 about Kody’s estrangement from some of his family. Janelle said Kody wanted to have a better relationship with his children.
“I think that’s probably the goal, right? He’ll eventually figure out how to have a relationship with his kids. I mean, I hope that happens over time,” she told ET at the time.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
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