2016 Recap ...

2016 at a glance - I hit quite a few topics in the blog this year (although I didn't get to everything), did a few monthly reviews, but I still like to have an annual recap. Top pictures. Top stories. So here goes (written in retrospect in 2020 after reviewing photos, calendar pages, journal entries and letters to Landon). I'm sure I forgot something ...

• Landon: Was gone on his mission. Updates from him on the missionary blog.
• Callahan: Finished up his junior year in the spring, started his senior year! Worked a ton at KFC. Bought his first car (Dodge Charger/Black), went on the pioneer trek ... and basketball of course. Homecoming/started dating Kate (which writing in retrospect, is his future wife!)
• Keaton: Finished up 9th grade at West Hills and started his sophomore year at Copper Hills. Early morning driver's ed, learners and license ... but no car! A girlfriend?? Root canal and the year started with broken wrist.
• Cooper: Ended his elementary years with Shakespeare and the Science Fair and started 7th grade. Very into Pokemon Go and playing Junior Jazz with friends. Ran a 5k and often beating Mom in Fitbit steps.
• Colton: Finished up 4th grade, started 5th. Never stopped playing basketball all year~ two teams. Had his (and Gray's) last derby for our family. Flipping water bottles was a craze this year ... one that Colton participated in!

Grayson: Started smoking! He bought a smoker, and then spent the rest of the year perfecting ribs, brisket, pulled pork, etc. We hosted Thanksgiving with Gray preparing all the meat. Work at Symphony always keeps him busy, but he still managed 54 derbies this year! Got nice black tables and some cones for his setup. He and his work buddies rented tuxes to attend a wedding, and then Gray "catered" a wedding with chocolate fountains. 

Jen: Still doing Zumba, subbing during the summer. Keeping track of food/fitness with the JenBsJourney blog, and always working on weight (161-180 for the year). Got "blondified" and added audiobooks to the reading repertoire. Read 137 books, 52 were audio. Added "Swig" cookies to the baking book.

More from the year ...

• Medical: Not a great year for Gray with Meniere's and Sciatica. Had an MRI, ENT visit and a biopsy on a mole. Keaton had a nasty allergy attack (cashews) and Coop reacted to Remi (the dog next door) a bit. Aunt Amy was in a freak rappelling accident.
• Travel/Trips: Gray had a few getaways ... Vegas in January with work. Bear Lake in August. He and Ana went to Seattle (Fall Food Tour #2) in November. There had been a family trip planned for the summer, but it got called off (due to Gray's Meniere's. There were conflicts with basketball too). 
• Pineview: Lots of trips to the lake (seven) ... a couple with the boys and their friends, some work buddies too. One trip the trailer got a flat, Gray had to bring the boys home, buy a tire and go back for the wave runners.
• Basketball: Cal finished up his JV year and is now a Varsity star! Keaton's wrist derailed his final 9th-grade games with West Hills and affected spring teams. Both boys went to St. George for the summer team camp. Keaton made the sophomore team in the fall. Coop is playing Junior Jazz and Colton stays super busy with two teams, Wolves (6th grade) and Grizzlies (5th grade). Gray got some great seats for NBA games this year (work perks), they hit a summer league game, and we went to see the Harlem Globetrotters as a family (sans Cal, who was working as always). 
• Ducks: Big year for the birds. Eggs in the incubator (only one hatched), five adopted babies. Backyard for much of the summer then they flew to the canal, where Jen continued to visit and feed them. We had a wild pair in the spring, resulting in momma and 13 babies in the backyard too!
• Maga's Menagerie: Two sets of kittens from Princess. Easter chickens, ending up with eggs all year. She got a little hamster ... and a dog!
• Pammy's Party: Gray set up a big surprise celebration for Pam's 70th birthday. 
• Gadgets: Got a new lock for the front door ... LOVE it. Keypad entry. New garage door with an app... can open and close it remotely and receive notifications. Hot Snaps and hose connectors. The boys got a Playstation and then WiiU.  Keaton enjoyed having the portable A/C in his bedroom this summer. The younger boys upgraded to iphones, so Mommy can stalk them with Find My Friends and Coop could play Pokemon Go. Does the smoker count as a gadget?
• Politics: Election year... oy! Vote for Pedro (Uncle Shane's Halloween costume ... timely!)