I don't keep up on the blog as much as I should ... I got about 30 posts done during the year. Once upon a time I was attempting monthly updates. For the first half of 2024, I got several blog posts done about specific events. I got quarterly updates (plus some individual posts) for the last half. I still like an annual wrap-up. The collage (above) and write-up (below) were created for the Westra side ...
Jen and Gray and their five Blackham Boys have had a busy year. In addition to the actual work with Symphony Homes, Gray heads up a monthly dinner for veterans and built the Bluey house out of boxes for a diaper drive. He ran several half-marathons and completed the Spartan. Jen continues baking sourdough, teaching Zumba and loving all things book related. She set up a Little Free Library in the front yard. Landon works with LKL Associates. He had surgery for a torn ACL but was back playing pickleball and even ran a half marathon. Cal supervises quality control for Camson Electric and his wife Kate works at SLCC. Their doggy Vera keeps them busy! Keaton moved from his basement apartment to a townhouse in Daybreak with roommates. He works with Cal at Camson and is continuing his electrical education. He is into skydiving, roller skating and cooking (Blackstone/SousVide). Cooper is working at DLP Unlimited. He slimmed down, ran a 5k and 10k and almost always leads the family in daily steps. He's obsessed with music and went to a couple of concerts. Colton had a great senior season as his basketball team swept region undefeated. He played in the state Allstar game and committed to play for Clackamas Community College. He is currently #1 in the NWAC for assists!
Going into a little more detail than in the Christmas Blurb ...
- Home Sweet Home: Three "moves" ... Landon, Keaton and Colton, and that created some rearranging of rooms on the home front as well (Colton downstairs, "library" front room, "spare" bedroom upstairs).
- Broken/Fix: Basement bathroom (mold), Truck (bodywork), Charger/Durango in for repairs (A/C). Had to replace the Tesla tires several times (nails). Repairman for the stove and dishwasher ... the ice maker stopped working but we are just sticking with ice cube trays. New furnace(A/C stopped working) and new manibloc/plumbing. New bed for the snore bedroom. Hot tub removed.
- Medical: Gray had some rib issues after the Spartan. Jen, a couple dizzy spells and two bouts of Covid. Landon's knee/ACL surgery. Cal almost chopped off his thumb. Coop caught covid and had a high fever (registered 105). Colton accidentally ate some nuts (not life threatening, but miserable for a while), bit his tongue badly and could barely eat for a week, and had tooth issues, root canal and crown.
- Family: First Father's Day at the Highland House. Blackham Family Reunion. Kolby came in for Thanksgiving. Westra bridal shower (Alyssa). Hale x 3. Come From Away w/Gray.
- Gray had a "getaway" year, lots of trips/travel & races. SanDiego for some biking, Vegas for a wedding, St. George and Moab, Mt Charleston, Rockies Half. STP (Seattle to Portland/bike) Logan to Jackson, Salt to Saint. Puerto Vallarta, getting Colton settled in Oregon. Subway. Spartan. The Bluey Diaper House occupied much of 2024, as did the Symphony King of the Hill workout challenge. An accident in an ATV (no one hurt except the machine/totaled).
- Jen continues teaching Zumba 2-3 times a week, playing pickleball 1-2 times a week and still hitting the treadmill and elliptical in basement gym. Almost always has an audiobook in, and rates and reviews all her reads on Goodreads and Storygraph (#jenBsBooks). Set up a Little Free Library (#182597) in the front yard, along with a sharing garden (seeds, starts, produce). Still making sourdough ... 24 loaves a week, to give away to friends and neighbors. A couple of dizzy spells, and a couple of Covids, but 2024 was pretty much medically mundane (and that's good!)
- Landon moved into a new apartment in Midvale, just as he got the news that he needed knee surgery (ACL). It wasn't long before he was playing pickleball again, and hiking, a 10k, even a half marathon. He had work/play trips to Mexico, Vegas, Louisiana, Cabo and Idaho. For Halloween, he had a "couple costume" introducing the gal he'd been dating (Valentina) to the family.
- Cal & Kate had a trip to Cabo and San Diego and did a super cute family photo shoot. Cal has continued playing basketball in several different men's leagues and tournaments, and almost took off his thumb with an axe during a camping trip. Ouch! A couple of Camson getaways, and a couple working trips to Bear Lake.
- Keaton moved out of his basement apartment and into new digs in Daybreak, rooming with a buddy from high school. Nice setup! In school for his journeyman, working with Cal at Camson.
- Cooper went to a couple of concerts this year ... he's obsessed with music, especially the Spotify Unwrapped stats that come out at the end of the year. StatsFM (another app) keeps the boys conversing with music trivia. He's continued to move up at his work/DLP. He got a passport and went to Mexico with Dad/Landon and the Seattle Blackhams. 5k/10k races. Pickleball and treadmill, and a 10k streak on the Fitbit. He also got a new haircut (from Olivia) cutting the sides/back short, but leaving the top long enough for a ponytail.
- Colton finished up his senior season, won region, played in the allstar league, talked with several colleges and went on a college tour/trip - decided on Clackamas and committed. Tried out track, ran the 100, 200, 400 and relays. Graduation. Worked with Coop at DLP for the summer. Off to college, moving into an apartment with roommates, and college ball.
Here's a live look ... all the monthly One Second Every Day videos combined.
