Blackham 2020 Recap

Hindsight is 2020 ... and looking back on the year, 2020 will be remembered most for Covid-19. That virus made such an impact, that it gets it's own post here on the blog (Covid 2020). It topped the news, even over an earthquake, hurricane-force winds and an insane election year. Here's a peek closer to home, at what was going on with the Blackham Bunch.

• Landon and Sol started off the year buying a new home! The papers were signed in January and they moved in February. Landon continued working at LKL, but was promoted and got use of a work truck (which is very helpful in their one-car situation). Sol continued working in the ortho unit at the hospital, and became a plant momma (in addition to their two dogs/two cats and some fosters).
• Cal and Kate had a big year. It started off on the wrong foot, literally. Cal stepped off a ladder at work and broke his foot. Again. Back to crutches and a boot. Cal moved forward at Camsen Electric, becoming a team leader (with a company van) and passed his residential journeyman exam. We had a WEDDING. He and Kate bought a house and got married in June.
• Keaton's Spring school and work had Covid complications. His college courses moved online, and Nike stores shut down. Cal said they could use him at Camsen, so Keaton immediately went to work full-time and ended up staying there, quitting Nike when the store eventually opened back up. Keaton was made a team leader and given a work van too. He bought his first car, bought a "purple" bed and bought LOTS of shoes!
• Cooper was already in online school, so the pandemic changes didn't affect him much. He avoided haircuts for a while, getting shaggier than any Blackham boy has ever been, before letting Keaton give him a buzz. He started wearing a cap constantly after that (not because of that, he just got the cap shortly afterward). Coop reconnected with some friends over the summer, and got his first job (school sweeper). He loves watching Ludwig on Twitch. Ping pong made a comeback at the end of the year, and he participated in the fantasy football league with Uncle Kolby again ... and WON again! $600!
• Colton still got in a bit of basketball despite some Covid cancelations. He finished up his season with the West Jordan 8th grade team, and played with his Wolves quite a bit, including a travel tournament in Idaho. In the fall he made the high school basketball team. With the rest of Utah, he finished his school year online. For 9th-grade, he got on a hybrid schedule, four in-person classes and three online classes (although this was more for basketball scheduling than Covid concerns). At Joel P Middle, with basketball class at the high school on A days.
• Grayson has been busier than ever at work - crazy busy, but there was financial compensation for all his extra hours. He still found some time for his getaways (Seattle, California, Moab, St. George, Bear Lake) and trips to Pineview with the wave runners. He said goodbye to the Sequoya and bought a big black truck. A new grill was added to the garage kitchen, and Tepanyaki style rice was added to the recipe repertoire. 
• Jen is still Zumba-ing (although it has been a lot less with Covid cancelations) and working out at home. After hitting a new high with weight, she had some small success on the scale in the last quarter of the year. She feels a little like she's in high school again, as she helps keep Coop on track with his studies. Lots of books and blogging (added Westra blogs) ... delving into some family history as well. No duck duty this year, but still grew a garden and spent some time on home renovation prep. 

Gadgets - Added the Occulus at the end of the year. It's another VR set, and the kids have been enjoying it. Coop had really got into Ring Fit on the Switch in January ... but it only lasted one month. Gray switched back to an iphone, and Keaton and Jen got new phones too (with Colton getting Keaton's old 11). Keaton lost his Fitbit, Colton/Cooper didn't wear theirs much. Only Cal was still competing with Mom. Jen added an Oura ring (after the Motiv died) and Amazon Halo devices ... can you have too many trackers?

Getaways - Gray likes to get away, and he did almost every month. A trip to Seattle in January. St. George in February, California with work buddies in March (right before Covid really hit). St. George again in May/September and December. Moab in June, August and September (Keaton went with him that trip). At least seven waverunning getaways (mostly Pineview) and then Bear Lake.

Group Gatherings - We had New Year's pastry wreath with the Blackhams. K&J came into town for the wedding, so there was another Blackham Bash in June. Father's Day with the Westras. Sam's baptism, Thanksgiving and Christmas with the Blackham side, but Covid canceled a planned Westra reunion in the summer and the annual Christmas Eve party. 

Home Sweet Home - As Cal moved out, water damage in the wall of his room was uncovered. That lead to a bunch of renovations. Drywall the damage, then paint. We went ahead and painted the whole basement, and then decided to do the upstairs too. New carpet in the basement. New lights and outlets (we have two electricians in the family after all). Lots of purging and donating and organizing (Jen got rid of all her scrapbook stuff). New beds for all the boys (that actually happened early on) room rearranging (Keaton downstairs in Cal's old room, Keaton's room now a computer room for the boys).  New washer/dryer, and downstairs fridge. Dishwasher repaired. The elliptical broke, and we looked into a new one, but decided on a repair for the Nautilus. LOTS of work on Maga's house too, then it was sold (Ana's family moved to a townhouse nearby, and Olivia to a condo in Daybreak) and the estate divided and distributed. 

Dogs Next Door - Cooper helped out the neighbors a few times, taking care of their dog when they would have a weekend out of down. Another neighbor hired him for some doggie daycare as well. Both dogs were named Remi! Next door Remi had puppies, and it was a puppy summer as we'd go over to play with them and watch how quickly they grew!

Cars - Keaton was without transport since the truck accident at the end of 2019. The repair ended up turning into "totaled" and now Keaton needed a car. We borrowed Grandpa's little blue truck for a bit ... Keaton learned how to drive a stick shift. He finally found a car he liked, but it couldn't be easy! It was a complicated purchase, then Covid shut everything down and the registration dragged on, the title never came in ... finally it was DONE but it was May before he was legal and registered. The driveway was full with Cal's van and charger, Gray's vehicle and trailer, and Keaton's car. Then Cal married, taking two vehicles ... which left the trailer open - and it was stolen. Gray switched out the Sequoia for a new Ford F-150, and then Keaton came home with a Camsen van. Cal had gotten into a car accident earlier in the year (similar to Keaton's last year, someone turning left in front of him) but was in the work van, not his car. Cooper has still shown no interest in driving. Colton turned 15 at the end of the year, so we'll be looking to getting his learner's permit.

WaveRunners - Lots of summer fun at Pineview. Trips with Kate's family and Sol's family and going with Symphony work friends. Dragged the machines to Bear Lake for a final weekend of fun ... and they wouldn't start! Jen and Coop didn't make it to the lake this year.

Derby Days - Gray got in a couple of derbies in January, and had a few scheduled for the year, although nothing like normal (before the whole church/scout breakup). But then ... Covid pretty much canceled everything. All the church buildings were closed, and scout/church/group gatherings were not happening. Gray rented a bigger storage unit and that's where the derby stuff is for now.

Entertainment - Jen hadn't been out to the movies in years ... but ironically hit TWO movies in January. The boys probably would have watched quite a few, but Covid shut everything down. The theaters AND Hollywood. The boys still made it to a few movies here and there. Gray even rented out a theater for work parties a couple times during the year. Gray and Jen went to Hale with Scott's crew.  We got Disney+ streaming (first season of "The Mandelorian" early in 2020, second season at the end, "Hamilton" in the middle and Jen got caught up on Marvel movies). While there are now dozens of separate streaming services, Netflix and Amazon provide plenty (with some favorites recorded to keep). 

Games - Lots of games going on! Bought a new card table, and then a new eight-sided table at the end of the year. Jackbox is still good for group fun. New game additions were Exploding Kittens, Poetry for Neandrathols, You've Got Crabs, ThrowThrowBurrito and Secret Hitler. Old favorites still enjoyed are Monopoly, Sorry, Ticket to Ride, CTM, The Great Dalmuti, Pirate, Racko and Sharp Shooters. Pokemon made a comeback with the kids, played on the old gameboys. Ping pong was popular again, especially with Cooper and Mom. Colton had basketball games year-round, even with Covid going on. Keaton and Callahan had groups that they would get together with ... but Covid (and the church buildings) did shut those pick-up games down. 

Food - Eating out was down with Covid concerns - we still had several family trips to Tepanyaki, although with Gray's addition of the garage grill and his own fried rice, who knows if that will continue to be as popular as we get so spoiled. There was still quite a bit of take-out ... Chick-fil-a, Popeyes and Little Caesars (pizza was pretty much a staple this year). Grayson made yummy cheese puff bites, breakfast casserole and continued with all things sous vide and smoked. Landon has still enjoyed baking, and Cooper tried his hand at making some breakfast sandwiches. 

Medical - There was the broken foot, again. Seriously? Jen struggled with eye issues (redness, swelling and she does need to get in to get glasses) and had some dental work done. Keaton had some chest pain, and then some skin issues. Cooper and Colton had skin issues too. Gray finished the year with stomach pain and fever (stressful during Covid, but his test was negative).

As mentioned ... Covid-19 was the big news story across the nation and the world. There were also fires in Australia, and Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash (I remember Cooper was the first to notice that on his phone and tell us all). Here in the U.S., there was also the ELECTION. Would Trump get re-elected? He didn't, but he didn't accept the results, said they were wrong, that there had been fraud. There were also protests and riots and a big Black Lives Matter movement. Here in Utah, we had another BIG SNOW, which resulted in a "snow day" for the schools (but not for Cooper, as he was online anyway). Then, there was an EARTHQUAKE. While it wasn't huge (5.7) it definitely shook up an already on-edge population! There were some WILDFIRES as well, causing concern and evacuations, although California had it worse. The smoke turned the skies red. Late summer, wild WINDS were forecast and they toppled trucks and a few unlucky neighborhoods were without power for a couple weeks. In our immediate area, there was a bomb scare (a house filled with explosives causing evacuations) and an airplane crash in the neighborhood next door

December 2020

 

At the Blackham home, we wait until after Thanksgiving to put up the Christmas decorations. Actually, we waited quite a while, and weren't sure we were even going to get the tree up at all. But we did get it up and decorated. Stockings hung and many a Hallmark movie watched (well, just by Jen, all while down in the home gym while working out). 

December also brought BASKETBALL. Tryouts happened quickly right after Thanksgiving. Colton is a freshman, but will be playing Sophomore and JV for the most part. He has played in a few of the freshman games, and has played a bit in a couple varsity games (he even started once already!) Each team has different uniforms, and each team has two (home and away) so Colton has NINE jersey/short sets (varsity has three sets). He got #5 for freshman/sophomore/JV and is #4 for varsity, as a senior already claimed that number. Only parents can come cheer, but often the schools will stream the games live - and Jen is trying to make her highlight reels too. It's been good to get back to games.

As a student-athlete, Colton has to take a rapid-covid test every two weeks. There have been some cases popping up. The team had to sit out the Christmas tournament when a few Varsity players got sick. Gray spiked a fever on Christmas Eve, his test came back negative (the fever is related to some stomach issues) but it did scare away our married kids for Christmas Day celebrations (we just had a quick drive-bye gift exchange). Sol was able to get the first dose of the vaccine. 

Colton had a birthday ... 15 years old! He can get his learner's permit and start practicing behind the wheel. We had some ice cream cake, and a yummy trip to Tepanyaki. The boys love the fried rice there, and Gray has been practicing and perfecting fried rice at home on his new grill. He also tried philly cheesesteaks. Jen got him the chef's hat for Christmas ;)

Earlier in the month, Grayson had a little getaway to St. George. Cal and Kate went there at the end of the month. Gray and the boys (Landon, Keaton and Uncle Adrian) spent a Saturday morning at the shooting range, and we got together with the extended Blackham Bunch for a Christmas celebration with soup/breadsticks and Bingo. 

The Oculus (a virtual reality gaming system) was the big gift for the boys this year. Keaton and Cooper really enjoy it, and Landon has played it more than Colton (just a little funny because Landon doesn't actually live here). Ping pong has still been a bit hit at the house ... lots of ball bopping going on. Coop even got Gray and Cal to play him (and Coop won three begedas from Cal in a bet.  A "begeda" is a type of Blackham currency ... but an exchange of three of them is a pretty big deal!) Cooper also won big in his Fantasy Football league. His Uncle Kolby got him involved last year. It's a men's league with decent stakes. Last year it was a $50 entry fee, but Coop walked away with the $300 first prize. They doubled up this year. $100 to participate ... and $600 for first place. Kolby has been doing this league for a while and said no one has ever won twice in a row before. 

Here's our monthly 1-second-every-day Video

... so that wraps up December, AND 2020. With the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn creating the "Christmas Star" will 2021 be a promising new year?

November 2020

 

November ... besides birthdays and Thanksgiving, what else was going on with the Blackham Bunch?

• Advancing Electricians: Callahan passed his test and is now an official residential journeyman. Keaton wasn't sold on sticking around as an apprentice, working during the cold winter, but when he mentioned his possible leaving to his bosses, they countered with a raise, made him a team leader (so there is a work van in our driveway again) and even offered to let him work just finishes (when the houses are closer to being done, closed up and a bit warmer). So ... Keaton decided to stick it out. He spent quite a bit of time cleaning out and organizing his tools and the van.
• Food Phases: Little Caesar's pizza is a staple at our house ... it's just such a quick and easy leftover for the kids. Jen loves the Italian Cheese Bread. Coop watched a food video about a french toast sandwich which he's been making for breakfast fairly often ... sometimes it sticks. Gray's latest new thing is a grill (in the garage) and he made some fried rice that was close to that of Tepanyaki (which is a family favorite).
• Eating Out: We went out to Tepanyaki with the whole crew to celebrate the November birthdays. We got it in right before the Govorner's announcement recommending contact only within households.
• Fishing and Fields of Geese: Gray's work buddies took him fishing for a birthday getaway, and we had to stop and grab a picture when we saw a field full of geese (at the old corn maze by our house). Gray loves geese. He doesn't really like fish (he's allergic).
• Skin Issues and Annual Exams: As mentioned last month, we've been having some skin issues. Keaton's cleared up, and I used the same medication on Cooper and that seemed to help. He's still got some shadows of spots on his arms and legs, they might be scars ... I'm so glad that the ones on his face cleared up completely (he had a LOT). Colton then developed a strange infection around a scratch on his thigh. It has cleared up, but again ... you can still see where it was. I got both boys in to the doctor for their annual exams, and to just double-check the skin stuff. 
• Pickleball and Ping Pong: Cal and Kate have been enjoying pickleball. There is a court quite close, and I happened to be driving by when I saw them arriving to play one day! At our house, ping pong has made a complete comeback (after no one playing for months). One day Cooper and I played for an hour, and he plays with Keaton and Colton too. And Joy - she likes to jump up on the table and bat the ball. 
• Other Games: Landon still comes over, for lunch and games. Some of the favorites are: Secret Hitler, Exploding Kittens, CTM, The Great Dalmudi, Sorry and of course Jackbox games!
• Plant Momma: Sol is a plant mommy, with a bunch of babies that she cares for at her house. She noticed one of my plants had outgrown its pot, and she had to come back the next day and repot it into something bigger so the roots had room to grow. The basket I received just over a year ago from the folks (at Pammy's funeral) is still looking large and lovely.
• Maga's House: After a year to let the girls settle, the guys felt it was time for some closure. There was a lot of work in the past month and more getting the house ready to sell, and it was only on the market for a day or so. Ana's family moved into a little townhome nearby and Olivia got a condo in Daybreak. The estate was divided and distributed. 
• Covid: Colton got the "quarantine" call and did school from home for two weeks. He went back for two whole days before the whole school shifted to online learning for two weeks. Gray had another possible exposure at work and did a self-quarantine for a couple days, working from home. 
• Jen's Exercise/Eating: I recommitted to attempting to lose the Covid 15 (and what was gained before that) and am back on IMF (intermittent fasting), counting calories, and upping the exercise. And down that first 15 ... Too cold for outdoor Zumba anymore. One small Zumba class still had permission to use the church gym (our Mon class, and we added Wednesdays) but we did stop for a couple weeks after the Governor's and the Church's announcements - But, we've been allowed back in! I'm lucky as I have a complete home gym anyway, but it's nice to get in a solid hour, keep up my memory of the routines and see friends (even if we don't ever get that close).  
• Basketball: Tryouts had to be postponed (they were going to happen Monday, November 9, but then there was the Governor's announcement). They were allowed back in the schools at the end of the month, so tryouts were the 24/25 and Colton made the team. He'll be playing sophomore, JV and dressing for Varsity if they need him there. Colton will have to have the rapid Covid test every two weeks (he has his first one this morning). Unlike October, there were NO games in November. The first game is Monday, and there is a good chance they are streaming all the games this year (only parents allowed to attend in person). 

As mentioned ... there were birthdays and Thanksgiving. We did gather with Clay's family, but they just had Covid last month, so it should have been pretty safe ;)  And that's what's up with The Blackham Bunch! In National news ... there was election day and Biden topped Trump in the count. 

October 2020

 

And October has ended ... Halloween finished up the month. We had had a small family gathering for pizza and games, putting the candy on the front porch (until one little boy just took it all, caught it on the Ring camera). Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin painting and a pizza jack-o-lantern. The weather turned cold, and frost killed all the plants. I'd picked all the tomatoes beforehand and gave almost all of them away. What else went on this month?

• Covid Concerns: West Jordan High School switched to online-only for almost all of October. Colton takes one class at the high school, and the "open gym" basketball had to cancel. Grayson had a Covid contact and quarantined himself to be on the safe side while awaiting a test (it was negative). He can work from home, and the commute and dress code are much simpler ;) Covid hit Clay's whole family but they have all recovered fine.
• Skin Stuff: Keaton got hit with a couple weird rashes. One on his stomach, and one under his arm. We ended up using the "telemed" option our insurance offers, and with a couple of prescriptions, they have cleared up. Now Cooper has little sores all over so I may have to call or take him in. 
• Home Improvement: Grayson redid his garage a while back, but has yet to add a cool finish to the ceiling and floor. He has a plan for the top, and part of that was redoing the garage door openers. There are no longer boxes and a bar across the top of the garage, it's all on the side now. Our dishwasher went out, so we were handwashing for a week before we could get that repaired. Of all appliances to not work, the dishwasher IS the easiest to work around. 
• Basketball: LOTS of basketball this month for Colton ... that happens when you are on three different teams. I think he had 16 games this month.

Coop has continued to work most days. Just an hour or two. The first quarter ended and both boys got all As. We voted ... Kate made sure of that! She waited while Keaton and I filled out our ballots, and then took the envelopes to a drop-off location.  I'm still leading Zumba three days a week. Gray has been extra busy, as the Blackhams are working to sell Pammy's house. It's been a year now. 

September 2020

 

September 2020 started off with continued home renovations and room rearranging. There was a birthday and a baptism (Cousin Sammy). NBA playoffs going on, and football started up ... Coop has his fantasy team all picked for another competition with his Uncle Kolby and co. The movie theaters opened up, and the boys went to two movies this month. They also had a backyard movie night with smores and socializing. It was pretty busy. Here are a few more details on the days ...

• Home Sweet Home: After painting the basement, we decided to do most of the upstairs too. Cleaning off walls and shelves and closets, there were a couple trips to the DI to donate (you just have to make an appointment now). The front room is now Cooper and Colton's school/game room. They each have a desk and two computers (school/games). Bought a new chair for Coop. Jen now gets her little nook all to herself (she was sharing with Colton's desk) and even has a spot for the sewing machine. The recycling, coats, and cleaning supplies all got switched up, and some cute decor was added (covering up some ugly old electrical). The boys went through all the old electronics ... we have quite the Apple graveyard!
• Gray's Getaways: Grayson has been super busy at work, but tries to stay sane with a weekend getaway or two. He headed out to Moab, taking Keaton along, then hit St. George with his work buddies. Rock climbing with the RZR.
• Puppies: The puppies made the highlights last month, and were still a big part of our September. The neighbors would bring them out almost every evening, and we'd pop over to say hi quite often. The puppies grew SO fast! Right as September ended, all the puppies (except one that they are keeping) were off to their new homes.
• School: School has been going good. Coop's year isn't very different than last year, as he was already online. His Lifetime Fitness class had a unit on tennis, and Coop and I hit the courts to play. Colton is adapting fine, going to school in the mornings, then online classes (he does tend to do his schoolwork reclining in bed rather than at the desk), and off to the high school every other day for basketball class. We've been watching the Covid numbers, as Riverton shut down for two days for cleaning, then Copper Hills. As September ended ... West Jordan had too many Covid cases and will close the school and switch to online learning through the end of the term (two weeks, then the scheduled Fall Recess). So Coltons WON'T be going to the high school basketball class, but his middle school is still in person ... for now.
• Basketball: Colton has been busy with basketball. Playing on two 10th grade teams (his Wolves, and Showtime, which is basically West Jordan) and a 9th grade WJ team. The coaches have been working together and with those scheduling, and there have been no conflicting games! I posted some ColtonClips on FB/Instagram.
• Cooper:  A bit ago, a couple of Coop's buddies reached out, and he's been going to several social events with them. This month, they had a "Big Brother" competition (little minute-to-win-it games and challenges, eliminations) and some sand volleyball. I sure wish he'd want to get his license so I wouldn't have to drive him (and do late pickups ... yawn!) He also ... got a JOB! A couple friends were working as a "sweeper" at the local elementary school and suggested he apply. It's perfect; super close, just an hour or so in the afternoons, with a couple of buddies. He had the interview, the training and his first couple shifts.
• 2020 Monthly Plague: There was a HUGE windstorm on Tuesday, September 8th. Hurricane-force winds were predicted, and they came. We weren't hit too bad in West Jordan, but trucks and trees were toppled across Salt Lake and Davis Counties. Power was out for many people ... for up to a week for some! Additionally there have been multiple fires (in Utah and surrounding states) and the skies have been super smoky, which has made for some beautiful but unusual sunsets.

We see the married kidlets fairly often. Landon comes over for lunch most days, and he and Sol come to play games.  Keaton is still working with Cal, although they are rarely on the same jobs. Keaton was even offered a team leader position, but unlike Cal, he's not thinking long term on electrical work. He's a little up in the air, not sure what to do for the future, and Covid sure complicates things (and makes dating/social almost impossible). Gray has been SO busy. Covid has NOT hurt the building business or Symphony's sales. He had two major Menieres attacks this month (one at home, one at work). My life is pretty simple ... just supervising the kids school and running them places. I do little trips all throughout the day (7:15 drop off Colton, 9:00 Zumba, 11:10 pick up Colton, 1:00 run Colton to the high school, 2:30 pick up Colton from the high school, 3:30 run Coop to work, 5:00 pickup Coop from work, run Colton to practice at 7:00, pick him up at 8:30). Of course Covid cancelations will reduce some of those. I have still been teaching Zumba Mon/Wed, and added in Fridays outside, as long as the weather permits. Outdoor Zumba is actually quite nice on a cool morning. 

August 2020

This month was pretty packed! There was work in the basement ... paint and carpet and rearranging of rooms. There were several trips to the lake. There were PUPPIES! There were birthdays, and the start of school ...

• Puppies: The neighbor's dog had puppies, and we've enjoyed going over for puppy time several times this month. They are so cute, but we are sticking with just enjoying the dogs next door.
• Home Improvement: It all started with one wall (water damage) and that lead to new paint and carpet downstairs. While prepping for that, we went through everything (books, boxes, cupboards, closets, etc) and there were several trips to DI (planning ahead and making appointments), give aways to friends, family and neighbors (clothes, books, all my scrapbook supplies). The poor gym was FULL of stuff for several days. Then after the workers were done with paint and carpet, it was time for things to go back in position. Keaton moved downstairs (Callahan's old room). Then there was the replacement of lots of lights (handy to have a couple electricians in the family) and then we went ahead and painted upstairs too.  Whew! The reorganization is ongoing!
• Lots of Lake: There were three trips to Pineview, going up with Kate's family, Sol's family and extended Blackham family. At the end of the month, Gray and most of the guys (Cal&Kate, and Cooper and I skipped) went to Bear Lake.
• Landon's Work: He got a "work truck" for driving to/from and on the job, which is a HUGE help for their one-car family.  He had been having Sol drop him off at our house in the morning, then he'd take the Segway to work! With the new neighborhood road, he can get to our house super quick. He also got a "work phone" and now carries two phones around.
• Eating Out: Gray and I went out to Texas Roadhouse, and then the whole family hit Tepanyaki (birthday dinner). Gray has been liking Uber Eats to get some food while continuing to work at the office (lots of late nights!)
• Birthdays: Coop had his 17th birthday, and Keaton turned 20! Landon's b-day is coming right up. Grandma and Grandpa came out for birthday wishes, cake and games.
• School Starts: The Jordan School District pushed the start of school back one week (originally scheduled for Aug18, to Aug25). Fridays would be digital, and in-person or online-learning (or a combo) was offered, although not all classes were offered online. Colton decided on a dual approach, going to school in-person in the morning, then three classes online, lunch at home. The reasoning behind this was more because of basketball than anything else. The high school coach called and mentioned he'd really like Colton to attend the 4th period basketball class at the high school (the last period of A days), so the online option worked out wonderfully to help with that schedule. Cooper is all online again at Mountain Heights. Keaton's old room upstairs has been converted to a "school" room with desks for both Colton and Cooper. They both have Chromebooks checked out from their schools.
• Basketball: Colton has stayed busy with basketball. His Wolves are still playing and practicing, and his Jags have had some practices and have a tournament coming up (he'll be playing on both the sophomore and freshman team).  I still haven't gone to see him play, as all the recent games have been further than I travel ...
• All the Other Stuff: I went out to an impromptu Westra gathering (bringing some of my purged products) and picked up the family baby books for blog posts. 15 Westra Way posts for August. Keaton upgraded his phone ... a needed update! The Apple Store has been shut down due to Covid, but he and Gray were able to make the change with AT&T (our phone service provider). He now has an 11. Grayson had a getaway to Moab w/the RZR and work buddies. Our stake officially closed the church building to all but essential meetings ... so my Zumba is on hold again. We haven't been kicked out of one of the other buildings, so we have still been having classes Mon and Wed ... and I've been teaching, as the instructor there broke her toe.  I found Fresca (it's been impossible to find in cans!) Colton and Cooper and I got in a little last-minute summer fun with a trip to the bowling alley, and Aunt Olivia made a housecall for haircuts. Coop has had several hangouts with friends ;) and Gray had a major Meniere's episode (woke him in the middle of the night).   

Here's a peek at the One Second Everyday ...

Star Students!

 Okay, everyone at the school got to be "Star Student" at some point in scchool, but the kids always thought it was great fun when it was their turn to be in the spotlight. For some of the boys, it was up to me to make the poster myself. I'd pull out the scrapbook supplies and photos, print out items the boys were interested in for illustrations...

...other years, we filled in a pre-made poster.  The same, but different!

It is fun looking back and seeing what the kids wrote, in their own handwriting. I'd saved these posters over the years, usually just hanging them in a corner of the closet. The boys would always laugh as they looked back on them. As we did a basement remodel, I ended up pulling everything down for new paint, so I took pictures and figured I make a post showcase all our stars! And I still stashed the posters away, in case the kids want to look at the originals. As I was checking on some dates, I realized I did a post years ago featuring some of these posters (2nd Grade Spotlight) ... I am now missing Coop's premade one he filled in. Good thing I already had a picture of it!

Blackham - Family History

I've been doing quite a bit of work on the Westra side as far as family history ... organizing photos, writing up blog posts featuring the histories and memories of the Westra and Norman clans. Time to turn to some Blackham history. On both sides (Blackham and Zundel) there are a couple of aunts who are very into genealogy and I was able to find some treasures. This post will feature the Blackham side, Grayson's grandfather Wayne Nielson Blackham, who passed away just a few months before Gray was born. 

A huge thanks to Caroleen May, who researched and wrote up several histories. They are all on FamilySearch, but to make them even easier to find and read, I've included links to GoogleDrive copies for Dick and those around him who impacted his life (below). I've also included an abridged history and photo collage here, but be sure to check out the unabridged originals! 

• Wayne "Dick" Nielson Blackham (Gordy's Father) 1919-1969
• Donna Mae Shumway (Gordy's Mother) 1921-2010
• Carrol Hazen Peck May Blackham (Dick's Wife/Gordy's Stepmother) 1916-2003
• Helena Deseret Nielson Blackham (Dick's Mother) 1887-1958
• Samuel Arthur Blackham (Dick's Father) 1886-1955
• Hulda Deseret Allred  (Dick's Grandmother) 1866-1958

Known as Dick throughout his life,Wayne Neilson Blackham was born August 2, 1919.  He had two older brothers (Dallen and Creal) and the family lived with his grandparents on his mother's side for a time. Dick's grandmother Hulda was a nurse and midwife and may have assisted in his birth. Samuel and Helena (Lena) divorced when Dick was about 10 years old.  His father remarried and that union added a sister when Dick was seventeen years old. Dick had stayed with his mother however, and Helena remarried a few years later also. Dick, not liking the new living situation, went back to Moab to live with his Grandma Hulda when he was fourteen or fifteen years old. He remained living with her until he married Donna May Shumway in 1941. They had two boys, Gordon and Gary. Dick worked as a truck driver. One day, Donna took off with two-year old Gary, leaving Dick and six-year-old Gordon. Hulda took the two back into her home to help raise Gordon, known as "Punk". Dick met Carrol May, a single mother with three boys: Ted, 15; Stan, 13; and Phil, 9. Dick’s son Punk and Carrol’s youngest son Phil became very good friends. Dick and Carrol decided to get married and move to Salt Lake City, but let Gordon stay with Hulda to finish out the school year (she was very attached to him, and wanted to make sure he got baptized). 

Dick and Carrol were married February 6, 1950, a double wedding with Carrol's younger brother. Carrol's parents had a small apartment to the side of their home, and this is where Dick and Carrol started their married life. Dick continued to drive trucks. He would be gone for a few days, then off for a couple days. Sometimes he was called back to work after being home just a few hours. He had two pins (representing five years of driving without an accident) which he wore on a black hat. At one time, he entered the semi-driving skill contest at the fairgrounds.  Dick would pick up fireworks from out of state while traveling in the semi, and would put on a big display on the 4th of July. Later on, Dick changed jobs, from driving a semi to working with the city's maintenance department. This was a day job, and he could be home every evening and spend more time with the family.

Dick and Carrol had three children: Rebecca, born September 8, 1952; Vanessa Carrol, born September 1, 1953; and Dick Wayne, born January 3, 1956. They were called Becki, Nessa and Dickie making this a large family of seven children. After having all boys between them they were delighted with the girls.

The family enjoyed picnics, campouts, fishing and hunting. Dick would do the cooking, cutting up potatoes to fry in a Dutch oven. He made the best potatoes. He said he learned to cook at the sheep camps as he was growing up. He always carried his pocket knife and used it for everything. Dick took his guitar and enjoyed playing it in the evenings. He enjoyed raising rabbits and chickens. 

(see more pictures HERE)

Dick's son Gordon left for his mission to the East Central States on Mar 9, 1963. He returned home in March 1966 and attended BYU, where he played center for the football team. He met Pamela Zundel and they were married on January 28, 1967 in the Los Angeles Temple. They had two receptions, one that evening in California and the other on Saturday evening, February 4th at the Pioneer Stake Center in Salt Lake. They were expecting their first child November 1969.

In January 1964, Dick (age 44) had driven his brother home after a visit and was hit by a drunk driver on his way back home. The car was hit with such force that Dick went flying through the passenger side window and landed in a snowbank. He'd only been wearing slippers, no coat, and he related later that the cold as he waited for the ambulance was worse than the pain from his injuries. He was taken to LDS Hospital in critical condition, not knowing if he would survive the night. He never fully recovered and struggled with any type of physical work. He tried driving a cement truck for a while, but ended up on disability and welfare. February 1967, Dick was taken to the hospital where he was tested and evaluated. It seemed they just could not find out much about his condition. May 29, 1968, Dick was taken to the Valley West Hospital (now known as Pioneer Valley Hospital) with a heart attack. June 14th he was discharged from the hospital just to return on June 24, 1968. He stayed a couple of weeks being discharged on July 7, 1968. The doctor determined that Dick had originally damaged his heart in the auto accident. He was in and out of the hospital four or five times over the next few months. On January 17, 1969, Dick was back in the hospital for tests. He finally went home on January 25th without having the test as the machine had broken down.

After going through so much, in August the doctor decided that Dick would have open heart surgery to correct his problem. He entered the University Hospital on August 5th or 6th. A lot of family members went up to visit him the night before the surgery. He was in a cheerful mood. He related that he was told to take a shower and not to come out until he had used up the entire bar of soap. He indicated that this was quite a chore for him and it took a long time. The surgery was performed on the morning of August 12, 1969. There was a chance that he would not make it through the surgery, but he did. After the surgery the doctors told Carrol that all went well, that he should be fine. When he came to he saw Carrol sitting by his side. His first words were “Well, I made it.” He was in the intensive care unit being watched over along with another patient. The nurse said she had her back turned to Dick helping the other patient and did not see Dick get out of the bed, but she said she heard him hit the floor. His heart had stopped and by the time they revived him, tests indicated that he was brain dead and he was removed from life support on August 17, 1969. His funeral was held at Redwood Memorial Estates in West Jordan where he was buried on August 20th 1969. 

Dick’s son Gary who was living in Oregon at the time was on vacation. He made a wrong turn and ended up headed for Salt Lake. He thought he would keep going and looked up his family members, but Dick had already passed away. Gary missed the funeral by a couple of days. Gordon had already left to go back home to California.  Dick and Gordon and Gary hadn't seen each other since Gary was two years old. Gary did eventually make contact with his brother Gordon in California and his siblings in Salt Lake. After Dick’s first wife Donna remarried, Gary was later adopted by this husband.

Gordon performed the endowment ordinance for his father Dick on December 19, 1973 in the Oakland Temple. On October 15, 2004, Nessa’s children Eric Montague and Angie Chapman; Dick and Karen and their daughters Lindi Prestwich and Brooke Stocking; Pam Blackham (Gordon’s wife) and her sons Grayson and Clayton; Ted and Caroleen May and their children Shauna and her husband Marion Markle, Ted May lll and his wife Tanya performed the sealing of marriages and children to parents to eternally join the Blackham-May families. This was a joyful occasion.

July 2020

July 2020 ... with the fourth of July, and the 24th, but all big firework shows canceled due to Covid, there were a LOT of personal fireworks this year. Not us of course, but around both holidays the skies lit up, and the local stands reported phenomenal sales. What else was going on in July?

• New Stuff ... as Cal and Kate got married and moved into their own house, they needed a washer/dryer. Jen had the idea that they could take our old ones, and the Blackham house could get new ones. It took a little longer (Covid caused some delays in getting the new ones) but it was out with the old white ones, and new gray ones are now installed. The old fridge in the basement (the old kitchen fridge moved downstairs when we got a new one upstairs) had really been struggling ... so we replaced it. Then while we were replacing old things with new ones, Gray traded in the Sequoia for a new truck! We also were putting in new walls (water damage discovered as Callahan moved out) and prepping for new paint and carpet in the basement.
• Lake Time ... finally got the family (sans Jen/Coop) to the lake. Then Gray went three more times with work buddies.
• Family Fun ... Gray made a couple wonderful dinners of steak and chicken, and then we did burgers for the 4th (veggie burgers for the three vegetarians).  We took a trip up to Highland to see the Symphony Parade home before it opened officially and had a few game nights (Pirate, Exploding Kittens, Poetry for Neanderthals, Progressive Rummy and Racko). 
• Basketball ... Colton has stayed super busy. Clinic at the high school every Mon/Wed. Practices Tuesday evenings. Games on Saturdays. A big tournament ... Colton had 11 games (playing freshman, sophomore and some varsity) in just two days, and then it was shut down due to Covid concerns. Hit a little close to home too, with a Wolves team member testing positive, as well as a Jags basketball buddie's mother testing positive. The Wolves still went to Idaho for a tournament there.
• Out and About ... Covid not withstanding, Jen was still doing Zumba three times a week. Gray got out with work buddies a few times (dinners, comedy show). Gray and Jen hit Tepanyaki for an anniversary dinner and joined Scott's family at Hale Theater for Mary Poppins. Cal and Kate went to see a sunflower ranch ... fields of flowers! Keaton and Colton got supercuts with Aunt Olivia.
• Home Garden ... a few sunflowers at home. The hyacynth finally bloomed. The garden is growing, with tomatoes and bush beans producing a lot. Zuchinni and pumpkins struggling a bit this year. Gray has enjoyed fresh caprese (basil from the garden too) and Landon made tempura green beans.
• Other Stuff ... Coop got another dog-watching job (this dog was also named Remi!) and our Remi dog next door had puppies! Hamilton hit Disney+, so we resubscribed and watched it. There was a bomb scare nearby in SouthJordan with evacuations (didn't come this far or impact us personally) and then a plane crash in the neighborhood just to the South.  There was a big surge in Covid numbers, then mask mandates (required everywhere in public places) and lots of stress about what to do with school starting soon (not as much for our family, as Coop is doing his online again. Colton agreed to do two classes online, but that's more for basketball reasons than Covid concerns.

There were weekly reports on the Westra Write On blog that have a few more details of the day to day. 

Here's the video highlights from the month!

June 2020

June will be remembered most for Cal&Kate's wedding ... and the uncertainty of how things would go with all the Covid-craziness. But we got to see almost everyone, and it was over two-weeks ago, and I haven't heard of anyone getting sick, so that's good! Now just wait another week after the big Westra Father's Day gathering and the smaller Blackham bunch and ... well, as it's been back to being rather busy, it would be a little hard to determine where/when Covid was caught if someone ended up getting sick.

• Grayson had a couple little getaways this month ... fishing the Provo River one day, and then a couple days down in Moab for river running and Razor riding. Work has NOT seemed to be slowed, in fact sales are higher than ever and he's not exactly sure how/when he's supposed to get everything done.
• Landon and Sol have continued to work as well. They got their front lawn in, and invested in a lawn mower and the other tools that go with having a yard. 
• Cal ... got married! And bought a house! A big month for him and Kate! They are enjoying married life and getting settled. 
• Keaton finished up working at Nike and is back at Camsen Electric full time. He took a weekend trip to SUU to see a friend there.
• Coop has enjoyed summer - not having school. Sleeping in! The weekend everyone was away (Gray/Keaton and Colton) the neighbor's were also going out of town and hired him to take care of their dog. So he'd go over multiple times a day to give her potty and play breaks. We even brought her back to our house to hang out ... Joy did NOT like that (good thing there was glass between them). Coop tried to get back to some walking on the treadmill and has been struggling with bad blisters!
• Colton is back to basketball ... the high school has a clinic that is every Mon/Wed from 1:00-2:30. Actually, that's for the 10th-12th grades, but the coach specifically told Colton to come to it rather than the earlier/easier 6th-9th session (Colton will be 9th next year) and he even played a couple games with the varsity boys in a weekend tournament. Colton played with his Wolves in a tournament in Idaho and has had some Saturday games ... but as all the games are further away, AND spectators are limited, Jen has been sitting them out - so no video highlights. 

I've been blogging (I try to do one post for the Westra Way blog and one for our family blog each day ... I had gotten very behind,  there's lots of material). I had sent in some VHS tapes to be converted to digital and got those back ... fun to see my old high school musicals and even older family videos.  Still doing Zumba three days a week, and I generally get in a treadmill walk too. Haven't been on the elliptical as much lately.  I've been listening to several audiobooks each month, but I was caught off guard when my Kindle copy got zapped back to the library. Usually I have no trouble getting through a book in the three-week check-out time (luckily no one else had holds on the book so I was able to check it out again). Some people say they will "stay up all night" reading, but I get too tired for that!

Other stuff going on ...

• Garden ... is growing, although our tomatoes and peas aren't as impressive as Scott's! It's nice not having ducks dig up everything (and eat seedlings, and step on them). We've missed the fresh eggs and fun ... but not the stress of worrying about them. We still see some ducks at the canal.
• Gray's Trailer (flatbed, for the RZR)... was stolen. Should have had a lock on it, but it had been blocked in by Cal's car most of the time, until Cal moved ...
• Water Damage ... we knew there was some water damage in Cal's bedroom, but as he moved out, it became more apparent. Gray ended up tearing down half a wall and finding the problem, a leak in the pipe coming from the kitchen sink up above. So we'll need to get someone in to drywall and paint, and then Keaton plans on moving down to that bedroom.

Here's the "One Second Everyday" video ...

Colton ~ 8th Grade

The 2019-2020 school year will be remembered for its unconventional end ... Covid-19 hit and the schools shut down physically, with the kids finishing up online at home.  The year had started off in some upheaval too ...

The year before, school boundaries had been redrawn. All school permits were revoked and students had to apply again if they were going to a school outside of their boundary.  That was us. Starting back with Landon, who had to permit to finish his 9th grade year at Elkridge after a boundary change in 2009. Elkridge HAD been the neighborhood school, but our area got switched to the Joel P boundary. After that first permit, we ended up permits for all the kids (Landon permitted to Herriman High, Cal&Keaton went on permit to West Hills and the Copper Hills, I switched Cooper and Colton from Columbia to Terra Linda, and from there to Elkridge ... Cooper got into Bingham High on permit). ANYWAY ... after playing the permit game, and discussing it with Colton, we decided to not even try for a permit to Elkridge again, but to just go to the boundary school. At this point, we were planning on West Jordan for his high school (after huge outcry, they ended up not changing the boundary much at CHHS and it is so overcrowded, I really had no hope of permitting Colton in) so it just made sense to make friends he'd stay with. He was reuniting with friends from Terra Linda, and even Columbia too. We were comfortable with our decision.

Then school registration rolled around ... and he was enrolled at Elkridge! Colton is an easy-going guy, so we figured it would be less work for everyone if we just went with it. I took him to the school and we found his locker and tried out the combination. We mapped out all his classes and did a walk-through, even though he was already familiar with the school from his 7th grade year. 

A few days before school started I got a call ... now that the error was known, he did need to make the switch to Joel P.  This had been our plan from the start, but after acclimating to the Elkridge idea, it was just a really frustrating situation. Joel P was great, and quickly got him registered and in classes. We got a map and made the rounds so he'd know where to go on his first day. It all turned out okay, but it was a stressful start to the school year.

I asked Colton to write up his memories ...

My eighth grade year started off quite confusing as I first thought that I would be going to Joel P. Jensen. I was on a permit for Elk Ridge during my seventh grade year because my brother was already going there. I had already decided that I wanted to go to JPJMS for my next year of middle school so I wouldn’t have to be on a permit and also because the friends I make there will be going to the same high school as me later on. However, about a week until the school year started, there had been a mixup and I was still registered at Elk Ridge. I had received my schedule there and we had gone to check out where my classes were. Although I was looking forward to going to JPJMS, I was fine with having to be at Elk Ridge for another year since I already had lots of friends there and knew my way around. With less than a week to go before the school year started, I had gotten notified that Elk Ridge had made a mistake and already revoked my permit earlier in the school year, meaning I would have to go to JPJMS instead. This really upset me since I had already thought that I would be going there before and my plans had already gotten changed.

 Like the start of the year, the end of the year was also crazy. COVID-19 had swept over the globe and schools started to shut down, including Joel P. Jensen. Most teachers set up their classes on Canvas where students can do their work and turn it in. Students were able to do any class on their schedule at any time. This worked out really well for me because I didn’t have any time wasted unlike actually being at the school. Depending on the work assigned in the class, I could finish up the class in five to ten minutes, sometimes in only two or three if the work was easy enough. On the other hand, if I got the same work that I could do in two minutes online in actual school, the class period would still last 45 minutes. On one particular day, I remember starting school a couple of minutes before 8:00 in the morning and I finished at 8:05, it was the end of the week and I had already done the work for Friday in most of my classes, there were only two classes that I still had work to do, and I was able to easily complete them in under 10 minutes. That was what the start and end of my eighth grade year was like.

I had hoped he'd write a little more about the details throughout the year as well ... but apparently this writing assignment in summer stressed him out! I had to ask him for it many times! Here's a look at his last report card, which also captures classes/teachers which may be interesting to him in the future. 

He was able to be with his basketball buddies Gage and Collin in Math (he's a year younger, but in the advanced math, which he brought up a time or two until it became a running joke in the family).  His Spanish teacher Mrs. Spravzoff had also taught Landon (at Elkridge).  He never seemed to have much homework, and never asked for any assistance with projects. The grading system seemed odd this year, straight A or B, no A- or B+ ...

In addition to having an "active" class (team sports/fitness) both semesters, he also stayed after for intramurals several times a week.  Although I think we had some neighborhood kids going to the school too, it was just easier for me to drive him to/from school than to attempt a carpool.  7800 S would be really backed up during the morning commute, so I'd go around the back way and drive down a side street, dropping him off and having him then walk to the crosswalk and to the school. After school I had him walk down the street to a nearby church building and I'd pick him up there, avoiding much of the traffic (I'd pick him up at the school after intramurals). 

Joel P started/ended earlier than Elkridge ... 7:25-2:25, so he had to get up a little earlier this year.

When Coronavirus concerns hit ... it was a Wednesday (March 11) when the NBA shut down (a Utah player testing positive) when it became "real".  School went on Thursday and Friday (the 13th)... and after school was out that day, it was announced that there would be a move to online learning for a few weeks. The teachers had a couple to scramble and try to alter lesson plans. I think because Cooper was already online, that the transition was slightly easier for us. I already had a good look at online learning and how it worked. Some parents complained on Facebook about how much work their kids had, but Colton never seemed to have much. He'd sleep in a little, get started by 8:00 or so, and was often done by 10:00.  I do recall one "oh no" moment, as he'd made a presentation in Google Slides and was just doing the finishing touches, he and I were chatting (my workspace was in the same room as his desk) when suddenly, the words he'd written started deleting. It was like someone was hitting the delete button (we do think maybe it got pressed and stuck?) and we both watched as his entire presentation disappeared. We switched out the keyboard.

I wasn't at all surprised when it was officially announced that the kids would not be returning to school this school year.  At one point, he and went by the school so he could go in and get his gym clothes and lock from the locker room. He didn't have anything in his school locker (these silly boys never used their lockers, just carried everything around with them all day).  It wasn't as impactful for us as for the poor seniors, and those playing spring sports. Tournaments, trips, prom, graduation ... all canceled. There were lots of "drive-by" things, graduation parade, etc.  We still haven't received his yearbook, but it should be coming.

The end of eighth grade ... 

May 2020

May - here's the highlights!

• A Getaway for Gray: Grayson went with a work buddy to St. George at the beginning of the month. Razor riding.
• Bridals: Cal and Kate went to St. George and got their bridals taken, and they turned out great. Kate had asked me to make some masks (provided me with the sunflower fabric) and I did, and they used them in a few of the photos. 
• Work: Gray said all this hasn't seemed to impact Symphony's business, and he's stayed super busy. He worked from home a couple of Fridays just to break things up. Landon received a promotion at LKL and is now working more with roofing than other materials. Keaton had been working with Cal at Camsen Electric, but had to take a couple days off because of his chest pain, and then Nike opened back up and scheduled him there. He tried working both jobs, but that is a loooong day. Unfortunately Nike isn't able to offer much flexibility either, and if he has to make a choice, he's decided to stick with the electrical for now (better pay, more/consistent hours, and of course, working with Cal!). He will really miss his Nike discount though ... and he's done a BIT of shopping while he still has it. He's given his two weeks, but has been working Nike, not Camsen here at the end of the month.
• Car Registered: Having some time during the day, Keaton FINALLY was able to finalize the registration of his car. The purchase was at the end of January! The title seemed to get lost and had to be reissued. Then of course there were the 8-hour waits at the DMV. They have opened up the lobby now, with appointments available, so he was able to get in and out and is finally legal and the whole car ordeal (starting Thanksgiving 2019, when his truck was hit) is over.
• Home Sweet Home: With Cal and Kate getting married here shortly, they need a place to live. They have been planning and saving and it made sense for them to look at buying rather than renting. They looked at a lot and made an offer and should close just days before the wedding. It's in Kearns, newly remodeled and should be nice for them. At the Blackham house, new shower heads were installed, and Cal broke a big hole in his wall (he just leaned, there is water damage, so it was weak).   Keaton cleaned up the house as he was hosting a party. 
• Dental & Doctor visits: Cal had a checkup on his foot ... while he feels fine, the xrays just don't show much healing progress. Another month in the boot and then they'll just assume it is scar tissue or something showing up on the x-ray, but that he SHOULD be good. Keaton had a scare during basketball with some chest pain (right side). He was barely able to move. He went to the Urgent Care to get it checked out. EKG and xray ... no broken rib, angina or blot clot. He was given some muscle relaxants and was told to take it easy. It took several days and then he felt almost back to normal. Played basketball again at the end of the month. He had an appointment made months ago at the dentist and went in for that. I'd had some bad tooth pain back in March, right when everything closed down. I probably could have/should have called for an emergency visit - I waited too long and had to have several visits with that troublesome tooth. Colton finally got in for a visit to the orthodontist and Gray had a telemed visit to get his blood pressure medication refilled.
• Maga Memories: Between Pammy's birthday, Mother's day and Memorial day, there were more than a few memories of Maga. There was a Blackham Zoom call, and each family had their own "Pammy food" (Dr. Pepper, Habit ... I made her cauliflower soup and Wacky cake). We went to the cemetery on Mother's day and drove past the old house. The Blackhams got together for Memorial Day for some family time and food.
• Haircut: FINALLY ... Coop consented to having his hair cut! I think the last trim had been back in October, and it was long. He said it was actually a little uncomfortable to sleep with it all (although I have more than him and I sleep fine). Salons were just barely starting to open, and I'd gathered a bunch of style options to let him leave a little length on top ... but then he just had Keaton buzz him.  When Landon needed a haircut ... he went to Aunt Olivia. He also shaved his beard (but not his mustache, mommy is not a fan). 
• Zumba: I'm back to three days a week consistently. One of the other buildings has given us the okay to go back in, so we do that on Mondays. Then I teach Tues/Fri in our church parking lot. Outdoors has been nice when the mornings were cool and there was a breeze. It's getting HOT though ...
• Been Blogging: Mom/Margie, Chris and Wendy have been working organizing and labeling photos and when memories would come up it was wondered how best to combine the words with the photos. Blogging came to mind for me - and I started a Westra blog for Mom for Mother's Day. Also one to keep track of current sibling updates and have also become reinvested in our own family blog. Attempt to leave a legacy ~ and the timing was good with life a little less busy with all the Covid shutdowns.
• Car Show: We "went" to a car show, but instead of walking around looking at all the parked cars, we parked along a specified route, and the cars drove past us, parade style (or Covid-19 style). The parade actually started (and ended ) right at the entrance to our neighborhood at the WJ Public Works building. 
• Games: Landon and Sol have been coming over to play games a lot. We bought a few new ones to try ... Exploding Unicorns, You've Got Crabs and Throw, Throw Burrito.  The kids taped out a square on the driveway for some 4-square one night, and went to the park to throw a football and frisbee. 
• Back to Basketball: Colton's Wolves team has started up practices and had a game and some scrimmages. They have more coming up. Basketball is back, but everything is rather far (downtownish or up in Lehi) so I haven't been to anything and don't really plan to. Colton just catches a ride with teammates. 
• School: Wrapping up the year. Colton was done around May 22 ... Cooper's classes were scheduled to the very end. He has one more test to take, then he's done. We'll return his laptop we rented - he wants us to buy him one for next year. Nothing to return for Colton, but he and I stopped by the school so he could run in and grab his stinky gym clothes left in his locker. 

Mother's Day and Memories

The second Sunday in May ... Mother's day. 

It was a "memory" filled Mother's Day this year. 

Had the traditional breakfast and the bouquet. 

I never really know what to get my mom for Mother's Day. This year though ... she's been trying to get me involved in a big photo project, organizing and labeling pictures from all throughout the years. I'd just never really gotten on board. A couple of times when there were difficulties figuring out how to keep certain written memories with pictures, my mind would think "this would work well in a blog".  So that's what I did. I made a blog. 

It's a little like scrapbooking. Coming up with a cute title, making themed pages (like "Do You Want To Build a Snowman" showcasing snowmen built over decades, or featuring the autobiography of Grandma with a collage of photos or showcasing the California Vacation of 1980.  I got several topics up, and all the annual Christmas Letters (from 1997 - present).  I knew Mom, Chris and Wendy had been discussing ways to keep track of current correspondence too. The weekly/monthly letters we siblings send out. That didn't quite fit my thought for The Westra Way blog, which I wanted to be more classic stuff. So ... I made a second blog (Write On) for that and grabbed the last month or two of emails to include there.  That was my gift, and a gift that will keep on giving as I keep it up (I know, I'm behind on my own blog, but ...) So I sent my mom the link that morning.

After breakfast, we went out to the cemetery. 

First Mother's Day without mom for Gray. 

It was just three little boys, as the bigs were off doing their own thing.

I was trying to recreate some grass pictures taken in 2011.

We'd had a family Zoom meeting the week before for Pammy's birthday.

We then stopped by to see my folks ... with the whole Covid-19 thing still going on, we just visited out on the porch for a bit. I forgot to grab a photo. We also drove by Pam's old house (where Gray grew up, where we lived in the basement apartment when we were first married, that the kids knew as Maga's first house) and then by my old house on Hermitage. A memory-filled morning.

My brother Chris had asked us all to write up memories of Mom.

I turned it into a blog post too ...

Memories of Margie (May2020)

Landon and Sol came over for games and dinner.

Gray made a yummy dinner with tri-tip, mashed potatoes and asparagus ...

When I was growing up, there was a large orchard by the house. We kids would go wander, and asparagus grew wild there. It was tricky to find, amidst the trees and weeds, but I was a really good asparagus finder. I didn't want to eat it though, and my mom couldn't make me ... because then I just "wouldn't find" anymore. It wasn't until this last year that I tried Grayson's sauteed style. One of the very few foods I've learned to like in my old age. 

April 2020

Back in March there was some talk of "everyone just stay at home for these two weeks" ... I knew there was no way it would be just two weeks. No way it would be contained that quickly. Things stayed shut down for all of April. The schools made it official, kids would not be returning this academic year but would finish up online. Masks are now recommended. While cloth masks aren't nearly as effective, they are about the only thing available. I pulled out my sewing machine and made some. Stores have limited hours, and limit the number of people allowed to enter, and even initiated "one-way" lanes down the aisles. Toilet paper is slowly starting to appear on some shelves again. Limits are in place for many products. There is some fear of meat shortages in the future. 

On the home front ... things continue somewhat the same. There has been some inconsistency in school assignments. Some parents have complained that their kids have SO much work. Not so for Colton. He's usually done by 10:00 each morning. Cooper's classes continue on as normal. We had some chemistry experiments this month. Keaton is finishing up his SLCC classes. All the boys are still able to work. Gray goes into the office (most everyone else is still working from home). Landon is at LKL and stops by most days for lunch. Keaton is still working with Cal at Camson Electric. 

• EASTER: The holiday was pretty low key, I really didn't have many treats and the Easter bunny was quarantined so ... the boys don't complain and even put on ears for a photo. 
• HAIRCUTS: Keaton decided to cut his own hair ... he ended up just buzzing it. Then he did the same to Colton. Lots of game play still going on. 
• GAMES: Keaton got interested in chess again... even watching a couple movies on the subject (Searching For Bobby Fischer, Queen of Katwe). The boys ended up breaking our little basketball hoop ... it's taken a beating. It's been replaced, a new one is up and ready to play.  
• ZUMBA: After little to no dancing for a month, I asked a couple of my ladies if they would want to try a little backyard Zumba, and we did!
• FLOWERS & GARDEN: We've got some spring flowers coming up. The lilacs are blooming! I braved a trip to Lowes and picked up some plants and got a few things in the garden. 
• FLYOVER: A formation of four jets flew over the state as a salute to healthcare workers. It got quite a bit of buzz on Facebook. I made Colton and Cooper come out to the front yard for a "field-trip" to watch it. 

Here's the One Second Every Day ...