2023 Annual Recap

I need to do a better, in-depth review of the year. Very belatedly, I did get around to doing monthly updates at least, as well as a few posts on specific topics/events. I really like having all the important stuff from the whole year in one post, at a glance. Hopefully I'll get around to updating this *Ü*  Here's the little Christmas write-up for the Westra newsletter ...

The West Jordan Blackhams have stayed busy and active this year. Grayson is working hard at Symphony Homes, but found time to do a lot of hiking. He got on his machines (RZR, waverunners) and took a few trips (California and Europe/England/Paris). Jen has continued baking sourdough, teaching Zumba and listening to endless audiobooks. Landon is busy with work at LKL Associates. He got a new car, and also did quite a bit of hiking. Cal and Kate have a new addition – an adopted doggy named Vera who keeps them on their toes. Cal is working with Camsen Electric and Kate works at SLCC. Keaton is living on his own in a cute basement apartment. He left Camsen to try his hand at commercial work but decided to return to Camsen with his residential journeyman's license. Cooper is working full-time for DLP Unlimited. He plays pickleball and ping-pong and does lots of jogging in the home gym. It's football season, and his fantasy team is currently doing well. Colton ... plays basketball. He started varsity his junior year and now again for his senior season. He traveled with Metro in the Summer, played in the UtahTop50 league in the Fall, and is hoping to play college ball. Landon and Callahan have had some knee issues and Jen had another 'episode' in April (ambulance/ER & more medical tests). We're hoping everyone stays happy and healthy for the New Year! 

Here's all twelve of the 1 Second Every Day videos compiled into one ...

https://youtu.be/EWAE4C8ny6Y

December 2023

 

December is done ... of course there was Christmas. The final month of the year is always filled with family and fun, and this year was no exception. There was the Blackham Family gathering on Sunday,  December 17, complete with the cash cube again. The Westra family party was Christmas Eve (also a Sunday) hosted at Shane and Alicia's place again. Soups and breads and desserts. There was the annual dice game (should it be called the "candy bar game" when so many things other than candy bars are included?). The annual calendars were passed out, and the slide show was shown.  Grayson had a Casino Christmas party with Symphony homes (earlier in the month on Dec7) and donned antlers to pass out gifts.

Jen got out the santa and elf hats, and the reindeer antlers and brought them to Zumba and Pickleball too. Add in a little festivity. At home, the tree was put up with a few ornaments (including a cute new one from bookclub). The stockings were hung, as well as a few of the usual decor items (the Santa head full of M&Ms, a few signs, the little elves that rock walk down the slope, a couple nutcrackers). Keaton was our "elf"  getting things out and up. 

Basketball was in full swing with nine games and the start of team dinners. It was also Colton's birthday! I bought two cakes, so he could have one with his team (on his birthday, team dinner) and one with family the day after. 

Not really a birthday or Christmas gift ... but Colton got a new phone. His first NEW phone (he's always had hand-me-downs before). His had died suddenly, and luckily there was a sale on. Gray upgraded Cooper's phone too (his battery wasn't holding a charge). 

Gray had a get-away to St. George at the start of the month. Had some trouble and needed a tow with Jon's RZR (ended up being rescued by a viral YouTuber, see it HERE). Symphony Casino Christmas, and he apparently didn't have enough basketball watching Colton, as he had a night with his work buddies in a suite watching the Jazz. Landon spent a few days in Vernal running the LKL store there (so the manager could take a vacation) and then went with a friend to an NFL game on Christmas Day.  Quick trip. 

Here's a look at December ... One Second Style

https://youtu.be/6OXEk68451E?si=1q__JdQ-kYfxvN9j

JenBsBooks in 2023

If you know me, you know I love books. While I've gotten behind on the blogging, I have kept up on my books, making my monthly collages, rating and reviewing everything on GoodReads and Storygraph. I did a 2023~JenBsBooks on my JenBsJourney Blog, with a look at the year. On this blog post, I'll keep the collages created each month, all in a single spot...

I love looking back and seeing which books stick out in my memory, and which I can't even remember reading!

I joined Storygraph in January of 2023,

and love all the graphs and data it provides ...

The Storygraph pie charts have encouraged me to try harder in some areas ... to make sure I get in some non-fiction, not just fiction. I even did a NonfictionNovember challenge, where my goal was to make sure the non-fiction section was larger than the fiction for that month. In October, I manipulated the "moods" chart in honor of Halloween, seeing if I could shift the dark/tense/mysterious to the top. I've enjoyed adding in a few physical books, and making sure I get some BIG books (500+ pages) in too. Honestly ... the "pace" chart doesn't mean much to me, and I don't think I'll include it in my collages for 2024. 

All books are rated and reviewed on both Goodreads and Storygraph.

I'm JenBsBooks on both.