Sister Wives star Janelle Brown celebrated her 55th birthday by spending time in her garden and with her family two months after the death of her son, Robert Garrison Brown.
The TLC personality took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, May 5, to share a photo of herself smiling at the birthday cake made by her daughter Madison “Maddie” Brush (née Brown). “A little red faced from working in the garden but the cake was [mouth watering emoji],” Janelle wrote over the snap before thanking her daughter.
In addition to sharing the photo on her Stories, Janelle took to her feed with a video of her garden in North Carolina, where she spends time when she’s not in Flagstaff, Arizona. “NC gardening adventure!” she wrote over the video.
Janelle added in the caption, “I’ll be spending a lot of the summer in NC with Maddie, [Maddie’s husband] Caleb [Brush] and the kids so Maddie and I have made big plans for a garden. I am looking forward to learning how to grow veggies in a climate that has such a long season and way more moisture than I’m used to.”
This marked Janelle’s first birthday since Garrison’s death by suicide at 25 years old on March 5. Garrison was one of the reality star’s six children with ex-husband Kody Brown. Janelle and Kody, 55, confirmed their son’s death in a joint statement on their separate Instagram accounts that day.
“Kody and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful boy Robert Garrison Brown,” they wrote. “He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him. His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away. We ask that you please respect our privacy and join us in honoring his memory.”
The Brown family held a memorial service for Garrison in March, where he was honored by the Nevada National Guard for his time as a staff sergeant. Janelle returned to Instagram on March 31 to share photos from the service and give an update on how she was doing after his death.
“It’s been hard to get my brain to work properly again,” she admitted. “I am so grateful for the [outpouring] of love and support I’ve received these last three weeks. The support has been overwhelming. I am honored. So many of you shared stories of your loved ones. So many of you wrote of your thoughts and prayers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Janelle remembered her son on what would have been his 26th birthday on April 10 with a touching tribute on Instagram.
“Happy Birthday Sweetheart,” she wrote alongside a compilation video featuring clips and photos of Garrison on his past birthdays. “We are missing you terribly today. It’s hard to believe you aren’t here anymore. We talked a lot about you today and even went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner (your favorite place). I still feel you nearby sometimes. And I’m grateful we will see each other again when my journey is completed.”
