October 2022

October was pretty busy with continued home improvements, basketball, family gatherings, food and a couple little trips. Here's the recap ...

• Master Bath: Gray and Landon tore out the master bath (tub/shower) and we now have a nice walk-in. The toilet was also replaced, with a higher seat and a bidet lid.
• Temperature: We had to turn on the heat!
• Leaves: Gray and I took another trip up to Butterfield Canyon, this time in the RZR. There is a separate post about the trip. UnbeLEAFable. And although we don't have any trees in our yard, there are still lots of leaves! The last "lawn mow" of the season was mostly leaves.
• Getaways: Gray, Keaton and Landon had a weekend in Moab, and Cal & Kate were road-tripping for a week (during SLCCs Fall Break, which was a week before Colton's). They started in St. George, then went to Tucson AZ for a few days. Then driving back through Vegas for a couple nights, and back to St. George, before heading back home. They were gone Oct14-23. 
• Family Gatherings: Wendy, Josh and Jenna were visiting during their Fall Recess, so there was an impromptu Westra family dinner at Red Robin for those who could make it. On the Blackham side, family got together on Oct16, acknowledging the absence of Pammy for three years now. Clay prepped mucho meat for gourmet tacos.  A little later in the month, there was a birthday gathering for Aunt Olivia. 
• Medical: Jen finally got into the neurologist (a follow up from her fall in January) and will have a couple of tests (MRI, EEG) next month.  Gray had a coronary calcium scan (just precautionary, checking out the arteries) and Keaton got some new medication for the rash on his arm. 
• Basketball: Colton had workouts with Metro, and Coach Scott throughout the month, and a few games with his Wolves team. Most of the fall games had been in Utah County, but there was a local tournament at Alta, so I went to watch and video. Here's the highlights  (game 1, game 2, game 3). Colton and his buddies also went to a Jazz game ... Colton drove.
• Pickleball: We got in a final game of outdoor pickleball before the weather changed, and we even got Keaton to join us finally!
• Food: New additions to the family menu ... chicken wings and roasted baby potatoes. I've been making fried chicken tenders in breading for quite a while, but tried battered tenders using simple sourdough starter - very yummy! We had Papa Murphy's pizza a couple times, and with Halloween this month, had to make pumpkin/jack-o-lantern cookies. 
• Palloween: Grayson's work has a "Palloween" for employees, and Grayson went as Walter White/Heisenberg.
• Halloween: We didn't get too many trick-or-treaters this year, even though it was a nice night weather wise. The kids are always happy to help out finishing up the candy. 

 That was October ... now, November!