January 2020

I've been bad at blogging ... but I'm going to try and do generalized monthly updates, and hope I can still hit some topics with their own post, and catch-up on some older ones I STILL want to do ...

There was actually quite a lot going on to start off 2020. New car, new house, new beds, new break, new gadgets, new exercise routine ... and Jen went to a movie at the theater!

• Gray ... had a getaway to Seattle for a little extended family time (with his brother and sister). Work is finally calming down a bit. He actually did NOT work every weekend this month.
• Jen ... is boring. Same-o. Still going to Zumba and staying active with other exercise ... but still losing the battle with weight (it's the eating). Lots of reading (mostly audio while multi-tasking).  Some dental work - crowns are expensive! Had some eye issues, so a visit to the ophthalmologist as well (just an allergy).
• Landon & Sol ... Closed on their home! A new home with Edge builders in Herriman, a little South/West of Herriman High School. It's a nice 3-bedroom/2-bath rambler, with a big unfinished basement. They moved in today and are still getting settled.
• Callahan... Broke his foot. Again! Simply stepping off a ladder at work, just landing a little wrong. After a week and a half of crutches, he's back in a boot, and back to work. In fact, he was made a team leader, which means he gets a company van to drive to work and school. It's big ... we're trying to make everyone fit in the driveway.
• Keaton ... Was in a car accident on Thanksgiving. We've been dealing with the insurance since then. We thought it was going to be a repair, but then they deemed it totaled. Keaton got qualified for a loan, and bought a 2016 Toyota Corolla. He also started school at SLCC.
• Cooper ... has had a good month. School has been going fine, and he's really been getting into the new Ring Fit game he got for Christmas (a role-playing video game for the Switch, that requires you to jog, do crunches and yoga poses to defeat the enemy). 
• Colton ... has been enjoying basketball. Playing with the West Jordan 8th grade team, and going to cheer on the high school team at their games.  
• Joy (one of our kitties) was in heat for well over a week (we are bad pet owners, haven't gotten her fixed). She's adorably annoying during this time. VERY vocal with constant meowing and wanting constant cuddles. It's really the only time most of us can hold/touch her. Usually she only likes Cooper and Keaton.  
• Gadgets: Gray got a meat grinder for his birthday, and he tried it out this month. Ground beef and bacon to make homemade hamburgers. Landon got a juicer and has enjoyed experimenting with that. We got a battery powered foaming soap dispenser for the bathroom ... everyone loves it!
• Beds: In preparation for their upcoming marriage, Cal and Kate invested in a king size bed (the only way to go!) so his old (not really old, it had been new) queen bed went to Cooper, and Cooper's full size went to Colton. So everyone is in big beds now (Keaton had bought his own full size purple mattress a while back). We rearranged a few other things too (a dresser and TV) so all three boys rooms have a new look. 
• The Little Blue Truck: Finding Keaton's new car was taking some time, and our covered time with the rental was up, so we borrowed the truck from the folks to get us by. Driving a stick ... it's like riding a bike. Came right back to me (as I got to be the one to drive it most of the time). Colton didn't know what the handle was (to roll down the window) or the tape deck ... and he was amazed that the radio worked just like it did in the other cars (the radio anyway, alas no bluetooth or iphone hookups). I taught Keaton to drive a stick (as he wanted to try it out, see if he was maybe interested in a manual transmission) and Landon took it for a bit to help with their move and said he forgot how fun driving a stick shift is. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the little loan (I've told Landon now that his move is done he/we need to get it back to you!)
• Movies: I haven't been to a movie in over a year and a half (Incredibles 2 mid-2018). But Gray and I went to TWO movies this month! Ford vs Ferrari and  Knives Out. I also ordered Disney+ for one month, so Keaton could watch The Mandelorian, and I figured I'd catch up on the Marvel movies I'd missed (I'm now caught up ... watched Ultron, Civil War, Infinity War and Endgame. While on the treadmill/elliptical of course).  Landon/Sol and Cooper enjoy going to a lot of movies!

Oops He Did It Again ... AGAIN!

Remember when Callahan was in 8th grade, and he broke his foot? And then after it finally healed ... he broke it again. Well he did that again! AGAIN! I actually never even got around to blogging his break last fall. That one was October 16. He broke it playing basketball. In the boot for months and finally the okay for it off at the end of December. Then January 17th, he was at work and stepped off a ladder. Maybe landed a bit wrong and ... AGAIN. It took us a few days to get an official diagnosis (the weekend and MLK) but guess what? It's broken. Unlike the time in 2013, the back to back break IS the same foot, and the same spot. 

Because this happened on the job, we filed a claim with Worker's Compensation (I'd emailed my brother to get some guidance there, as that's where he works). We wondered if surgery or something might be an option (since this is the fourth time he's broken his foot, the third time in this spot) but pretty much decided to just wear the boot. In fact, he didn't even get a new boot, he still had the old one. We should have had him get a new one though, because after a week he was back to work (WCF was paying the medical bills but no employment compensation).  Trying to stay off ladders, but ... so slow! As I'm writing this blog post in retrospect, it's taking months! Anyway, the boot would get so dirty that we bought another boot off Amazon so he could have a "work" boot and a clean boot to wear when not working. 

Silly Keaton put them both on and said to Cal "I really don't know why you like these?"

Of course Cal HATES das boot!

He need to STOP BREAKING HIS FOOT!

In the top collage, the upper right photo shows Callahan with a gift basket ... right after the break, Keaton put some goodies together for Cal, just some things to make him feel better. Keaton is not only super silly, but sweet too!

Classic Keaton - Disco Skating

Keaton has a good crew of friends he's kept in touch with since high school. One of the fun activities they like to do is hit Classic for their Disco Skating nights. Bright colors, funky music ... and skating with friends. They've done it quite a bit.

I'll often say "take a picture" as the kids leave for an activity. I'm THAT mom. One who scrapbooks and blogs. I like to have photos. The kids aren't always cooperative. After a skating night in January I got a text from Keaton ...

... there were over 100 files in online album he shared with me!  What a kid! Not just one picture, but a whole bunch. It gave me a little peek at what his disco skating nights are like, and hopefully he'll be grateful to have the memories in the future as well.  I took the photos/videos and made a video snapshot of the night.