Done Derbies in 2011

Gray did 32 derbies this past year! March/April are usually the busiest months (and that is when OUR derby is too, which makes it even more crazy as Grayson needs to help his own boys build cars). January often has a car theme, which also makes it a popular month. Not sure why October was in such demand!

Jan 6, 18, 25, 27

March 3, 8, 22, 26, 29

April 7, 13, 14, 19, 26

May 24, 26, 31

June 14, 21, 28

August 23

Sept 20, 22, 28

Oct 4, 6, 12, 19, 26, 28

Nov 17
Dec 8


... he already has seven derbies on deck for 2012 ...

TV Trouble and the Cable Cave

Back in June, I posted about the TV in the front room dying (after 15years of service) ... we moved the big plasma from our bedroom to the front room, and got a nice new television. It hadn't even been six months and that nice new tv developed LINES all through one side. I guess they don't make things they way they used to. We had bought the television off Amazon, and luckily the customer service department said they would accept the return of the defective tv (normally they would send out a replacement but they didn't have any of that particular model in stock). Gray went out and bought a replacement, and we had to try and make the old tv fit in the box and ship it back (Amazon covered the shipping, and luckily our neighbors have an almost daily UPS pickup, so at least that part was easy).

We also caved into CABLE tv. We'd been on the limited basic for quite a while. Way back when, I remember it was only $8 or so a month. It had gone up over the years, and when the "digital revolution" took place a while back, we lost a lot of the channels we were getting (that would now require a cable box). After that change (and the addition of Netflix) we really weren't watching much (if any) tv, and I was going to cancel completely. But, as we were bundled with Internet, it would only save us about $5 a month, and I figured we'd keep it just in case we wanted to watch something.

But with the NBA lockout over, the boys REALLY wanted to watch basketball games. We looked into the "LeaguePass" offered by the NBA, but didn't feel like that would let us watch the Jazz (blackout rules affect the local teams). So we finally bit the bullet and signed up for starter cable. We're now trying out the "on demand" features we've never had before and remembering what "live tv" is ... (commercials! yuck).  Watching actual "tv" again made us want our Tivo (DVR) back (we had cancelled this service over a year ago, we just weren't using it).   We'd given one of the boxes to my mom for Christmas (I KNEW she would LOVE Tivo and had been able to get a deal on lifetime service for that box), but I did reactivate one of the other boxes for our use. Comcast and Tivo don't always get along, but I was able to figure out the connections, and it actually made the whole setup in the front room better (no more switching inputs on the TV itself, which had been a huge pain!).

So we're still fairly basic ... we don't have NBA TV, but we do get ESPN, TNT and ROOT, and pretty much all the Jazz games come to those stations, and there are quite a few other games the boys can catch too. The boys are watching a little Nick and Disney again ... Gray likes to catch the Top20 Countdown and just  surf through the multitude of new channels now available.  Awaiting that first cable bill ...

All Together Again

 On Christmas Eve, 

the entire Westra clan was present, so we took a family photo.

The holidays do bring families together!

We also had everyone in town on the Blackham side, as Kolby's family had flown in from Portland. We met at Bucca de Beppo for a big family dinner. There were too many of us to sit at the Pope table as we had done years earlier. We should  have gotten a big family photo, but I didn't push a pose, so this is what I got ...

Buca de Blackhams

After dinner, everyone came over to our house for a bit, then Callahan and I left to his basketball game ( a competition tournament over the holiday weekend, it started a 9:00).  Over half the Blackham Bunch came out to watch and cheer Callahan  on (usually he only has me in the crowd, he was a little nervous playing in front of so much family). It was a great game though! A real nail-biter (even went into overtime) and Callahan really showed off this skills. Of course I made a video, and you can see it here!

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning ... the boys weren't up too early. I don't know that there were really any surprises. Most of the presents had been wrapped early and put under the tree and the kids had figured out what almost all of them were.  Landon got some shoes, a scooter and a shuffle. Callahan got a ripstick, socks, a new jacket (and I told him his extra basketball teams were part of his Christmas!), Keaton got SuperMario, socks and a new hat for his collection. Cooper and Colton got lots of Legos (and were wearing their new Lego jammies they got last night). There were edible gifts too, all the kids got a favorite ... Oreos, Skittles, Takis, KitKats ... as if there aren't already enough goodies around during the holiday season!

 This is what it looked like before (above)

This is what it looked like after (below)

There were also three electronic flying toys ... a helicopter, an AirHogs UFO thing, and DuckHunt.  Two didn't even survive Christmas day (guess which one still works .... that's right, the cheapest one ...)

Christmas Break?

So ... Christmas was coming and the kids were STILL in school, much to their dismay! While other school districts had the entire week before Christmas off, and others got off at least by mid-week, this was not true for our kids. Now as a parent, I didn't really mind. It gave me a few extra days for shopping and wrapping presents without the kids underfoot. But the kids ... they were NOT happy about it. I don't have Twitter, but apparently there was such a fuss made there that it made the local news! The kids were posting that NO OTHER SCHOOLS in the United States were in school Dec 22 and 23. It will be remembered as the year the Jordan School District stole Christmas!

Christmas Programs

Christmas Season ... full of parties, programs and performances.  Of course there is the annual Columbia Christmas program at the elementary school.  Still three Blackham Boys performing (Keaton/5th Grade, Cooper/2nd Grade, Colton/Kindergarten). It's always a trial trying to find parking, and it was even worse this year with all the construction around the school. I didn't even try for a spot, but went down to the Arctic Circle a quarter mile away. I brought the video camera and caught some clips and compiled them here for family who didn't make the live performance (although the video version is quite condensed!) 

The end of the video showcased Cooper and Colton in a nativity at our ward Christmas party (Grayson was narrating too) ... there was another nativity during the Junior Primary (didn't get pictures, I think Colton was a shepherd that time) and then again at Maga's for the BlackhamBunch Christmas celebration.  The older boys had been very adamant that they would NOT be participating, but then when other older cousins were willing (and I had some new additions to the costumes) they all jumped right in. Landon is the star ... he was facing backwards in this picture, wish I caught his face better!

 We've done the nativity on the Westra side for many years, although not in recent years (too many other things to do, the slideshow, the candybar game). Too bad we didn't get around to it though, as we had a brand new baby to play Jesus (S&A's new addition born on Grayson's birthday). I offered to get out a few costumes JUST for a picture but at Grayson's panicked look, we passed (the kids were pretty busy). Cooper had also stated that after doing it twice already, he did NOT want to do "the activity" again! 

Christmas Cooking

 Ah the holidays ... time for cooking up lots of holiday treats! Keaton's favorite cookies are "cookie press" cookies and I do like to make them during the Christmas season because of the cute tree shape. I also use the flower with pink/red dough, and I think it looks like a pretty poinsettia. 

I also made gingersnaps, cinnamon rolls, marshmallow brownies (with peppermint marshmallows), chex mix ... so many goodies! For the Christmas Eve party on the Westra side, I made a big batch of chicken noodle soup, rolls and breadsticks.

I was craving toffee, so I tried making a batch (it turned out ok). Landon came in and got SO excited thinking they were peanut butter bars ... they do look VERY similar. He didn't really want toffee, so he got out all the ingredients and made a batch of the bars ... they DO look a lot a like, don't  you think?

Treat Twins

Of course we got a ton of treats from friends and neighbors too ...

Birthday Boy!

Happy birthday to Colton! My baby is SIX years old! He was so very excited, counting down the days until his birthday. Daddy kept teasing him, saying he was just going to skip his birthday this year, and stay five. Colton knows better than to believe Daddy! I picked up the kindergarten carpool and we stopped at Arctic Circle with three of Colton's little friends. In the evening we went out to a family birthday dinner. Maga joined us and took Colton to ToysRUs for him to pick out a present (more Legos!). Colton also received a MOTOR scooter, which he has been wanting for quite a while. Happy birthday little buddy! We love you!  Here's a link pictures from birth until present day ...

Colton's Little Life

... the most wonderful time of the year ...

... the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" came on the radio, and Callahan commented "Christmas isn't the most wonderful time of the year ... basketball season is!" Of course, basketball season and Christmas do coincide, and in truth, basketball season is pretty much year round for the Blackham Bunch. BUT, December - February is REALLY basketball season, and this year, all five boys are involved!

Landon is reffing again, the first couple weeks he was over the 6th grade team league, which is very competitive and can get heated! Last week he pulled the shift at Columbia, and "reffed" both Colton and Cooper's games. This is Colton's first year, and he's having fun. Cooper wasn't sure about signing up, but after his first game, he is very glad Mom went ahead and did it despite his reservations. Keaton has had an undefeated season so far (three games in) but a lingering cough has made lasting through his games tough. Callahan is playing on THREE teams. Junior Jazz in both the 7th and 8th grade divisions, and then a high school prep competition league. There is often overlap in all the games, but we're working it out! If you want to see the Blackham Boys in action, here are a few video highlights, and the complete game schedule and summaries/videos are on the HoopDreams blog.

Colton's Highlights, Game 1

Cooper's Highlights, Game 2

Keaton's Highlights, Game 2

Callahan 8th Grade Win

Callahan's AAU Game 2 Win

Sick Season

We've had a pretty good run of good health, so I'm not really complaining. Then in November the COUGHS came to visit. It started with Landon, then Keaton, then the other boys (then me). Keaton had it the worst, he would sometimes cough so much he would throw up. He had to come home from school a couple times. It has impacted his basketball ... after several weeks he's still not really over it. 

Then there was the stomach bug. Colton was at his early morning basketball game when he said his tummy hurt. We ended up leaving the game early and heading home, but not quite early enough, as the poor little guy threw up all over in the car. Again on Sunday ... Cooper joined him on Monday (and I kept Keaton home too). The three boys were all situated in the "sick" spots on the couch, with their cups of "tickle juice" (Sprite) and buckets nearby. It was just a one day thing for Cooper, he and Keaton went back to school the next day, but Colton was still down Tuesday (I even ran him to the doctor as he was in a lot of pain and this was going on for so many days, but it was just a stomach bug). Still home Wednesday, then he finally made it back to school.

Let's all be well for Christmas!

... It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas ...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! What makes it feel like Christmas at the Blackham house 2011?  We always decorate the front porch with alpine trees and greenery and poinsettia plants, with wreaths under the lights on the garage and on the front door ... this year Grayson put up the outdoor lights! Yea, it's been years since we've had them as part of our holiday decor :)

 The stockings hung by the fireplace ...

A variety of holiday nesting dolls

our little elf slide toy

The Winter Wonderland Skating Pond ... this was given to us LONG ago and we've really enjoyed getting it out each year! It's on it's last legs, having been beaten up through the years. A fond memory with this was little Landon taking his dinosaurs and placing them in the scene, with one poor skater in the mouth of a T-rex, with the other skaters looking up in terror ... *Ü*

The kinetic pyramid ...
 the heat from the candles causes the inner scenes to rotate. 

A funny memory not with THIS pyramid, but Maga's.

 ... it caught fire and went up in flame!

A Christmas memory those there will never forget!

... and then there is the Santa head filled with M&M candies. Christmas just is not complete until he is out and filled up (and then of course emptied out) ... the "clank" of the candy jar being opened and closed is a common sound throughout the holidays. 

Cooper's Counseling

I posted a while back about Cooper's weather worries. They started in the summer and really started causing problems when school started. One day after I had been called to the school, the principal suggested we check out the services offered by the district at the Jordan Family Education Center. 

We went in for an "intake" and were approved for some short term counseling. Every week, we'd go meet with Dr. D to try and get Cooper to come to terms with his feelings and learn coping techniques.

The weather continued to plague Cooper. Cloudy skies, rain ... there were times Cooper wouldn't even come out of his bedroom (too many windows in the kitchen). After reading and recommendations from the therapist, I ended up taking Cooper to the pediatrician and got him on some medication to help counter the flight or flight effects. It took some time, but between the counseling sessions and pills, Cooper does seem to be doing better. He no longer checks the weather forecast several times a day. He goes to school without as many issues (and really excels there!) Weather still comes up in conversation very often, but it's not the issue it was. It's a little hard to tell, because snow doesn't seem to bother Cooper the way rain and wind do. I dread Spring and the storms ahead, but I'm hoping for rainbows ...

Wild Winds!

 The topic of the day yesterday was the WIND ... it didn't really hit us bad here in West Jordan (it was garbage day, but the bins didn't tip over) ... Davis County is where it got hit hard. Maga's fenced in backyard is no longer fenced in (the picture above). It looks like a tornado hit. The news reports said it was hurricane force winds.  The freeways weren't safe for semis or other high-profile trucks (there was a huge line of trucks at the stops and along the edge of the road). Some that didn't stop blew over. Trees were uprooted all over. Power was out and schools were cancelled in the area.

Once when some big winds hit before, one of Grayson's homes going up had some property damage, but no Havenhill Homes were in the fragile framing stages this time so they escaped without incident . This apartment complex near Grandma's house wasn't so lucky. Gray drove by this and his heart just bled for them...

I didn't mention the wind to my little weather worrier Cooper ...