Birthday Dinner and Limo Service

 

While we didn't get the whole Westra clan/Blackham Bunch together for Jen's 36th birthday, Mom/Dad and the younger brothers, and C&C made it for dinner ... and a ride there in a limo! Grayson arranged it all as a surprise. Here's Jen's journal entry from the day:

November 10 (Friday) Happy birthday to me. Gray sent an e-card a two separate flower arrangements. VT dropped off a gift, RS dropped off a card, Mom called. Then a third arrangement was delivered (3x12=36). The babysitter showed up at 6:00 as scheduled ... but no Grayson. Not a huge surprise, I knew he was planning something and it was taking longer then anticipated. Olivia had let the cat out of the bag a little, calling to wish me a happy birthday saying sorry she couldn’t come tonight (letting me know that it was a group gathering). Gray finally showed up around 7:00, with a huge limousine. Inside were Clay and Courtney, my parents, Shane, Alicia and baby Rella, and Derek and Danielle. We drove to Ruby River for dinner, then dropped everyone off. Gray wasn’t overly impressed with the limo service, the ride was a bit jerky (Gray started to get a little carsick), one of the TVs didn’t work, it had a “Vegas” smell, and the driver didn’t know much about the controls (to heat or cool things down). Gray also gave me a new video-recorder as a gift.

 

Memorial Day/Grandpa Gordy

 Every year we go to Grandpa Gordy's Grave ... on the anniversary of the day he passed away, or Memorial Day, or both. During our last visit, as we took the obligatory family photo, I remembered these pictures from years back ... so time for a back post. It's fun to compare the pictures and see just how much everyone changes through the years.

 Cute little Addy

 Ana and Courtney and the babies ...

 Blackham Boys Blue

... and of course, the group shot

March 2006

Moments in March 2006

• BABY BLESSING: We blessed Colton and had everyone over to the house after. The 9:00 church hour may have deterred some, which is fine, as our house isn't that great for entertaining.
• DERBY DAYS: Gray has been setting up the new track in the basement to try out, and he hosted a work derby for Hamlet Homes. He helped the boys make cars for that, and as Landon had a science fair project due, we experimented with where to place the weight (in the back is best). 
• WORK SHIFTS: Grayson interviewed and accepted an offer with Symphony Homes and will be changing jobs. He and a friend also built a house in Bountiful that they are selling on the side.  We went up with the Blackham clan to check it out, and Callahan fell into a puddle and got all wet. Luckily I had a "bedtime backpack" in the car with underwear and pajamas for him to change into. 
• MORE DENTAL DAYS: Landon had to have an extraction, Callahan some work on space maintainers, I had to have some cavities filled. Lots of trips to the dentist again. Dang teeth!
• BETTER BABYSITTING: There were quite a few babysitters, but Cooper is doing better. He started to cry once as one came over but she was prepared and pulled a little toy out of her bag and Cooper turned and said "Bye-bye mom" ...
• IDENT-A-KID CARDS: Took the kids to the school for pictures and the little "Ident-a-kid" cards (just in case, updated pictures/fingerprints, description). The kids like them, think they are like a driver's license. 
• SEEING SPOTS: I have some little circle stickers that I use to mark the date on the bottles of breastmilk I’ve pumped, and one morning I came out to find Cooper playing with them. He had put them all over his face and hands.
• FAMILY FUN: Out to the folks a few times, lunch with Mom. We had the two Jensen boys over for a sleepover while Rick was in town for meetings. A big Blackham Bash with all things Italian (lasagna, spaghetti, fettuccini, pizza). 
• INTO THE MOUTH: Cooper has never been one to put everything in his mouth, but then one day I caught him eating the fishfood, and then later putting a little marble in his mouth. Why is it that kids will put yucky things in their mouth...but not their dinner?
• TOILET TROUBLE: We’ve had a little problem with the potty backing up and clogging occasionally, and while it has never actually overflowed, and I don’t get mad at the kids when it happens, it has totally freaked Keaton out. Every time he goes to flush he says “I wonder if it will clog, I hope it doesn’t clog”. Many times he just leaves it without flushing, which is rather unpleasant for the rest of the family.
• SLIVERS: Keaton got a sliver in his hand and we tried to get it out. I got about half out, but the rest was just embedded too deep. It wasn’t hurting him, so we just let it be, and a few days later we tried again and got it out without any trouble. That same day Callahan showed me a “line” on his thumb...it was a sliver going over halfway down under the nail. OUCH! He said it didn’t hurt and he couldn’t even remember when it happened. Then it apparently fell out before I had a chance to try and get it out. Weird, isn’t putting something under the fingernails a torture device? Callahan wasn’t even fazed.
• KITTY-KITTY: A little black kitty was around outside. The boys loved playing with it and brought it in the house for a while, made a little house for it outside. Maybe someday ...
• TV TROUBLE: Our fairly new TV has gone bad, lines all through it. We do have a warranty, so looking into repair/replacement.
• BATTLESTAR: With Grayson’s new Ipod Video he can download television programs ($1.99 each) and he’s become hooked on “Battlestar Galactica” from the Sci-Fi cable channel. He showed me one, and then we got the miniseries from Blockbuster. He then bought the Season One set. I thought this was going to be something we could watch together, but apparently he can’t wait and keeps watching without me!
• RASH REMEDY: Colton had such a bad diaper rash I took him into the doctor. Got a prescription which cleared it up pretty quick.
• BAND-AIDS & BOOBOOS: Cooper got a little ouchie on his head, I don’t even remember how it happened. It really wasn’t bad, just a small circle in the middle of his forehead. But...he just wouldn’t leave it alone. He would pick at it and rub it, getting blood all over and I was afraid it was never going to heal. I finally covered it up with a bandage, but of course he pulled it off. I tried a few more times, and finally used a “Toy Story” band-aid which Cooper left on for several days. It wasn’t quite there, so when it came off, I replaced it with a “Pooh” one. Everyone would say “what happened” as the band-aid was so very visible. Cooper picked right up on this question, and when I had a bandage on my thumb he looked at me so concerned and asked “wha happnen? Ouchie hurt?”

Check out the Email Updates on the WriteOn blog for family recaps sent at the time, or Jen'sJournal for details on the day to day. 

Wiggle Uncle Kolby

 

Back in 2005, Grayson ruptured his Achilles tendon. He had surgery and needed to rest for several weeks. He would sit and watch "The Wiggles" with little Cooper for company. He probably wouldn't have given the silly show much notice otherwise, but unable to get up and move around, he looked a little closer and thought that one of the dancers in the background looked like Uncle Kolby. 

It was the lifeguard character. Red shorts, yellow "lifeguard" tank top, zinc oxide across the nose and a swim cap on the head. It became a bit of a family joke, and the kids would point out "Uncle Kolby" during "The Wiggle Groove" and a couple other numbers.  It probably is NOT Kolby's twin, but just the build of the body, the quick glimpses and just imagining Kolby dressed and dancing like that was enough to make everyone laugh a lot!

When Kolby's family and the rest of the Blackham's were over (it may have been for Callahan's birthday, or Colton's baby blessing) we showed the Wiggles video to the family to see if they thought there was a resemblance too. Much laughter ensued ...

Here's our home movies ...https://youtu.be/sBvxsFc50as
... and a complete clip of the silly song
https://youtu.be/PuUPWonWkhc

February 2006

February started off with Landon accompanying Grayson on the Hamlet Homes annual trip ... generally for spouses, but not really in the cards with a new baby. They were off to Cancun.

The kids were off-track for the first half of the month. It has its pros and cons ... it's nice having the bigger boys around to watch the babies while I run Keaton to preschool (he's not off-track) but, then the kids are around and needing to be entertained. They are really good boys though. Landon and Callahan had some dental work during this off track time, as did I (finishing up my root canal).  Callahan went to a Jazz game with his Junior Jazz team, which wrapped up their season. The boys had a sleepover at Maga's house (not baby Colton ... not yet).  Tamagotchis have been popular ... but maybe should be called Tama-lost-ees, as Landon kept misplacing his.  LOTS of scout stuff this month, kept Grayson really busy!

We had Valentine's Day, Callahan's birthday (oops, the cake stuck ... oh well, it still tastes good even if it doesn't look good!) and President's Day (that one is not super exciting, but the boys were out of school).

Check out the Email Updates sent to family for recaps, or Jen'sJournal for all the day to day details.

January 2006

• HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL: The end of December had been a hospital stay for the birth of Colton, and then back when he spiked a fever with flu. We were released on New Years Day. Needed to restock groceries and such ... Gray offered to go but my list was so long and I thought getting out might be good. I was in the parking lot at Walmart when I realized I was wearing slippers instead of shoes (#peopleofWalmart).
• CONSTIPATED COOPER: Poor little guy has had trouble pooping for quite a while now. He will say “Stinky owie, stinky owie” over and over again. While I was in the hospital with Colton I mentioned to Grayson that he could try a suppository, but Grayson stated emphatically that he would not be “doing any inserting in that area.”
• BABYSITTER BLUES: Cooper has often been stressed about babysitters, but he is really bad now. Whenever anyone comes over (whether they will be tending or not) Cooper will start screaming!
• BASKETBALL BOYS: The three older boys are all on teams. Games and practices!
• TOOTH TROUBLE: I had to go in for a root canal ... the pain was enough that I was actually excited to go in. It had been giving me trouble for a while, but I hadn't dared make an appointment while pregnant (not sure when labor might start up). I had taken the medication in the hospital after Colton was born more for my tooth than for post-birth pain. Also got the big boys into the dentist for checkups ... they need to go back for dental work :(
• DERBY DAYS: Gray bought a pinewood derby track and set it up downstairs in the unfinished area.  A bunch of little friends came over, a basement full of boys trying it out.
• BABY BLESSING: We went to Addie's baby blessing, held in the clubhouse of their condo. They'd had a scare and had ended up in the hospital with her, glad everything is okay!

Catch the EMAIL UPDATES sent out in January in the WriteOn blog, and there's also Jen'sJournal for more in depth details ...