Lovely plant Billy.
Check something - does it have a scent?
I grew a stellata, bought from Parker. It was a lovely little specimen, made about 3ft in 8 years. It had a very faint but absolutely beautiful scent, and very lovely flowers.
As with all good plants- (grrr) it died
The dog crashed into it and broke branches on one side of the plant, so perhaps it allowed an attack by disease.
I bought two replacements last year. One is M. stellata 'Royal Star', the other the species.
They are still young plants (much smaller than yours) and both are in flower right now. NONE of them have scent, and they dont have the regular form of flower of the oiginal. Disappointed !
Is that a Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula' in the foreground? Ive a funny story about one I bought!