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

2021 - Year in Review

 

I love the end-of-the year collage ... but it is a bit of a challenge to try and fit so many of the memorable moments from the past year.  On a  world stage, Covid continued to be a concern, but vaccines became available and everyone in the family got immunized. Cal&Kate still caught it though. The Olympics (postponed from 2020) were held in China. In the US, Biden's presidency became official, although the day was marred by insurrection. Closer to home, there was a small plane crash (several fatalities) less than a mile from our house (there have been a few crashes with Airport 2 so close by).  To recap the year for the Blackham Bunch ...

• Work: Symphony, and thus Grayson, stayed super busy. Landon shifted into a salaried position and Sol switched her career course. Cal and Keaton continue with Camsen, with Keaton returning to Nike for a short time as well (work ... and shopping with a discount!). Coop shifted from a substitute to a set shift, working a couple hours each afternoon.
• Weather: At the start of the year some "dirty" snow fell, coating cars and backing up car washes. Despite a few big rains that would fill up the retaining basin at Constitution Park (or Constitution Lake as it were) and had Gray out covering the window wells, much was said about the drought. Water levels at the Pineview were down and the waverunners didn't make it to the lake. There were some smoky skies, strong smelling, producing spectacular sunsets.
• Home Sweet Home: Started the year with new couches. Had to replace the router, which meant reconnecting everything wifi. Oven issues ... had some burned bread, and then the microwave went out. Repair was backed up, so we just replaced. Had to replace the water heater as well ... glad to have Grayson's connections! Got a Tesla charger installed ... and a Tesla ordered. Gray set up his dream office space & storage... home sweet away from home. 
• Getaways: Gray had a lot ... Seattle three times (once himself, once with the family, once with Keaton and Coop). Several trips to St. George and Moab for RZR riding.  The dunes, Bear Lake and Wendover weekends too. He and Keaton went to SanFran and Hawaii with Kolby and Jami. Landon and Sol went to Mexico twice, and Cal and Kate had some St. George trips, and also went to Arizona and Hawaii.
• FOOD: So much food! Jen was given some sourdough starter and went a little sourdough crazy! Baking bread multiple times a week, making pizza dough, pretzels, doughnuts, crepes. Gray added to his kitchen tools with a new, bigger Blackstone grill and a Komodo Joe ... adding the pizza oven attachment. While Tepanyaki is still a favorite restaurant, Grayson mastered most of the meal ... fried rice, shrimp (even tossing it to the boys), salmon. Tons of steak, lots of brisket and ribs and pulled pork. Asparagus and fried green beans. Cheese puffs and cheese dips. Chocolate Lava cake. Bacon wrapped chicken became a new family favorite this year. We discovered a couple new kinds of popcorn.
• Basketball: Colton finished up his freshman year, played a ton in the spring and summer with multiple teams. Had a few travel tournaments (St. George, Las Vegas). Made the team again his sophomore year and made his first varsity points. There was a change in coaching and a tragedy too. Callahan played in several leagues throughout the year. Jen even went to a few of the games and made videos like in his younger years. Cooper even played Junior Jazz ... or is it Senior Jazz, (as they are all seniors). 

Other random memories from 2021 were ... Tax Time, which was a little more complicated after selling Maga's house the year before. We owed big time (not because of that though). Vet Visit for both kitties, got some dental work done. Pokemon Go made a comeback with Cooper ... who then got Jen hooked! Pickleball summer. Playing games, watching movies. Annual Westra Father's Day, and a big Blackham Bash at Top Golf. There was a drive to see the fall leaves, a comedy show downtown, Thanksgiving hosted at the Blackham home, a Cash Cube for Christmas, and memories of our monarch. #voilaapp :)

That's the recap by topic, here's what each individual was up to ...

• Grayson: Lots of work, still some time to play. No waverunner fun this year due to the drought, but several weekends of travel and RZR riding. New office/storage. Lots of time in the kitchen/garage making meals to spoil the family. He made dinner more than Jen!
• Jen: There was continued success with weight-loss ... until around May. That's about the same time Jen got the sourdough starter, not sure if there is a correlation there? The second half of the year was NOT good  weight-wise, with what was lost being found again. Still Zumba-ing three times a week and working out in the home gym. Got off-track on the blogging, and got a little obsessed with Pokemon-Go. Still listening to audiobooks all the time, you can see all her books here. 
• Landon & Sol: A couple trips to Mexico, a new car, work changes ... Landon wrote up a summary of their year, and you can find it here. 
• Callahan & Kate: A trip to Hawaii and other getaways. Kate graduated from the U. They were the first in the immediate family to get Covid. You can see Kate's full write up here. 
• Keaton: There was a LOT of jumping out of planes for Keaton this year! He also built a 9-square set and had a couple memorable trips. Keaton wrote up his year, you can see it here. 
• Cooper: Finished up his junior year and started as a senior in the fall, still online at Mountain Heights. Got his learner's permit and practiced a little, driving home from work. Still cleaning at TerraLinda five days a week (moved to morning for summer). Lots of pickleball, ping pong and Pokemon Go. Active in the home gym ... had a 45k day on his Fitbit. He'd won in Fantasy Football for two years straight ... alas, 2021 wasn't his year (but Uncle Kolby kept the title in the family).
• Colton: Finished up his freshman year at Joel P and started as a sophomore at West Jordan High. Going from just a few hours in person in the mornings to FULL days (as he would go early and stay late). Got his learners and took driver's ed and was SO close to getting his license right after his birthday, but couldn't quite fit the final test in, so it got pushed back a month (and into 2022). Very social with school activities and went to a couple dances. So. Much. Basketball.

So ... I think that wraps up 2021. For more details there were individual updates every month here on the blog and sent out in family emails.

Here's the One Second Every Day compilation ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEQt4kVQNrA

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

2019 Recap and Review

2019 ... not a great year for blogging, or weight, or a lot of things ... of course there were some good memories too. Here I'll try to do a little recap of the good, the bad and the ugly.

• Animals: We had our six ducks for almost the entire year. There was some ducky drama, and I ended up needing to separate some of them (bullying HaniQuack). As winter rolled around, I didn't feel up to another snowy season of lugging water out, and we rehomed the ducks to a cute little farm in Riverton. No more #BlackhamDucks, at least for a while. We still have our two kitties, although we had a scare with Joy, when she got lost for several days. We were happy she made it back home. Cal's hamster died. Landon and Sol added another kitty (Bagera) and another doggy (Cherry) and they bring the two dogs over fairly often when they visit. We had a little monarch caterpillar, but it didn't survive to become a butterfly :(
• Basketball: Colton played with his Wolves every season, in several leagues (Winter Wolves, Spring Wolves, Summer Wolves, Fall Wolves)  He finished up the season with the Jags, played on two separate Showtime teams (Fall Showtime), and then joined the Jags again. Keaton played Junior Jazz again, and really got into cheering on the CHHS team in the stands. Cal likes to get together playing with buddies, joined a few men's leagues and hit the CHHS Alumni tournament. Coop likes watching NBA and went to a Jazz game with his cousins.
• Cars: The lease on the Durango was up, so we transitioned to a purchase, keeping that car. Gray still drives the Sequoia ... but he bought a Razor for recreation. Landon and Sol have been a one car family with his Charger. Cal was able to pay off his Charger. Both Chargers and the Durango had to get into the shop for recall repairs. The Tundra got hit while Keaton was on his way to work, causing a bit of stress there at the end of the year ... so far Coop has shown absolutely no interest in learning how to drive.
• Employment: Landon started a new job with LKL Associates and has really thrived there. Sol  is still using her CNA skills, but switched from Aspen Ridge to the Uof U ortho unit. Callahan is continuing on with his electrical apprenticeship. Keaton decided to give that a try too, but it didn't click for him, so he's now working (and shopping) at the Nike store. It's been a busy year for Grayson with Symphony Homes. The man works so hard!
• Fitness, Fitbits and 5ks: I'm still doing Zumba and working out in the home gym, although my motivation has slipped somewhat, especially toward the end of the year. I did run the annual 5k, but I was the only one to do so. Keaton uses the home gym a bit too. Coop and I enjoyed a variety of raquet sports ... ping pong, tennis, badminton and pickleball. The VR game "BeatSaber" is a workout, as is the latest fitness game for the Switch. There is a picture of the four boys with Fitbits ... but it's a little hit and miss with them. Cal broke his Blaze and I got him a replacement, but K8 gifted him a Versa2 for Christmas. Coop upgraded to the Inspire, but he doesn't like to wear it. Colton wears his, but forgets to sync. One week we thought we lost both Keaton's Flex2 and Colton's device, but I tracked them down with a FitbitFinder app. 
• Gadgets & Games: Added the "Brillance" switches, controlling even more lights and such via an app. Updated the TVs (TCL Roku). Gray got a new Ipad and switched from an iphone to a SamsungGalaxy. Coop got his old phone (it was offered to me but I don't adapt to change very well). Landon, Sol and Cal ended up upgrading, getting iphone 11s. I added earbuds to my audiobook arsenal. We added a PlaystationVR and XboxOne, because we didn't have enough video game systems! Cooper set a goal to make it through all 4800 levels of Wordscapes ... and he did it (I'm on level 912). 
• Home Sweet Home: New blinds ... they were very needed. We had added the housecleaners last year ... still have them! We actually seriously considered a new house, but ultimately decided against it. However Landon and Sol, will be moving into a new home shortly into the new year. They were out of their apartment in August and moved in with her mom while it is being built.
• Medical and Mental Health: Nothing too much as far as injuries for most of the year ... then Callahan broke his foot. We thought it was a broken ankle, but it was just badly rolled. The foot was broken though. In a boot for eight weeks. Grandma had fallen and broken her wrist shortly before. She needed surgery. It's been a rough year with Coop's depression and anxiety. 
• Movie Mania: Landon and Sol joined a movie program with AMC and love going to movies, often hitting two a week. Cooper enjoys it as well, and Landon and Sol are really great at including him and any of the other boys who want to go.
• School Stuff: Keaton graduated from CHHS. Cooper started 10th grade at Bingham High School, but we decided to try online school for him. We've been impressed with Mountain Heights Academy. We had some confusion/frustration as to where Colton would be attending (Elkridge again?) and appreciate his adaptability as he did need to switch middle schools to start new at Joel P. 
• Vacations: Big family cruise at the start of the year (sans Mom, Landon/Sol). Gray had quite a few little get-aways ... to Moab, St. George, Wendover, the Dunes. He and Coop went to Seattle at the end of September, while Keaton joined the extended Blackhams at Disneyland. Gray then did a Hawaii vacation (w/KJ) for his 50th, and Landon and Sol had a Mexico vacation.
• Water Fun: There were several trips to Pineview with the wave runners. Coop and I even made it up one time! Here at home, the hot tub is still getting used (mostly Keaton and Cooper) and Gray's cool water balloon filler came in handy a few times during the summer.
• Weather: While the family was warm in Mexico on their cruise, a HUGE snowstorm hit here at home. School was canceled. That's the first time in my experience as a parent where they actually closed the schools for snow. We had some big rainstorms in the summer (a little flooding and Gray pulling me under the roof runoff) and a hail storm that demolished the garden.
• Weddings and Funerals: Cal made things official with Kate, getting engaged the last day of August. The wedding is planned for next year, June 10th. Pammy passed away unexpectedly, and her loss has hit the family hard.

Here's the 1 Second Every Day recap ...

So that's the recap by theme, now by person ...

• Grayson: Work, work, work! Up uber early, staying late, working weekends. He does manage to find time for vacations though, from a family cruise to heading to Hawaii, to little weekend getaways and visiting family in Seattle. Still smoking, and perfecting the Sous Vide. Loves watching cooking videos. Slimmed down on the Keto diet and says he doesn't even miss sweets and carbs (crazy!). Still a derby dude, and all the boys took turns helping out. 52 derbies plus the derby workshop. But who knows what next year will bring ...
• Jen: Still dancing and trying to get her workouts in but sure struggling with the scale (173.6/188.5 164.2/190.8). Wrapped up the garden and yardwork and is officially done with ducks. Got even MORE into books this year, if that is possible (218 - JenB'sBooks2019). Added small wireless earbuds to her audible arsenal and now has a book going whenever she can (driving, gardening, cleaning, doing laundry, watching sports, mowing the lawn). While never paying full price, got lots of listening in on KindleUnlimited with the library as backup, and is reviewing for AudiobookBoom.  "Auditing" several of Cooper's classes to help him with school. 
• Landon and Sol: Landon's work was literally walking distance from their apartment, and just a couple minutes away from our house, so we still saw them a lot. They moved to Herriman early in the year, but now Landon pops over for lunch almost every day. They adopted another kitty and another dog. Sol is attending LDS Business College as well as working (started the year at Aspen Ridge, now working up at the U). They LOVE going to movies. BIG news, Sol got her permanent residency, so with that (being able to leave the country AND return) the two of them took a trip to Mexico.
• Cal and Kate: Cal is continuing on with his electrical apprenticeship and taking the required school classes along the way. Kate is attending school up at the U and recently started working at the library. They are very frugal and saving for their future together. Cal made things official with a proposal and they are now engaged, with the wedding planned for June2020. Cal enjoyed some basketball in the men's league ... up until he broke his foot! He's still vegetarian.
• Keaton: Finished up his high school year living it up to the fullest. He's super social, attending dances, games and hanging out ... and working. He quit KFC and took the summer off, then started working with Callahan(Camsen) for the Fall. He then switched to a job at Nike and is planning on attending SLCC next semester. 
• Cooper: After a tough year in 9th grade, we had high hopes that getting the permit approved to Bingham and getting into classes with friends would smooth the transition to high school. Alas, it was just too much and after looking into options, he is now enrolled in Mountain Heights Academy for online school. He still loves watching football (we dumped DirectTV and I was SO relieved that the NFL Redzone program would be okay, as he was used to the DTV one) and went to a SeaHawks game with Uncle Kolby. He joined a fantasy football league ... and ended up winning the whole thing ($300!). He loves going to movies with Landon and Sol. He was super excited about the new Pokemon game ... but he bought it and beat it already.
• Colton: After district boundary changes, school was a little up in the air for Colton. We decided NOT to permit, which meant he would be changing middle schools. Luckily, he is an adaptable kid and makes friends easily. He started 8th grade at Joel P and is planning on attending West Jordan, and has already caught the coach's attention there. Colton continued playing basketball all year round, and even went to Vegas with his Wolves. He loves hanging out with his basketball buddies on and off the court.  

2018 In Review

2018 ... I really wasn't good about getting my blogging done. As I write up this review, organizing it into categories, I can "see" the blog posts in my head (similar to scrapbooking in my sleep in days gone by). I really have NO excuses. With the boys getting older and doing things on their own, I  have the time to sit down and dedicate to recording the family history. I'm going to attempt to hit most of these bullet points with their own post (backdating as needed, as I like the blog in chronological order). Of course, I still have some from LAST year I should catch up on too. But like Scrapbooking, better late than never, and create as inspiration strikes and then put the memories where they belong in the timeline. It's all good ...

• Animals: Our four ducks made it through the winter, and the two girls started laying eggs around Easter. Then sadness struck, as Gabby died. We adopted three new girls and had a lot of eggs all summer. Nothing new with Oreo and Joy, but Landon brought Toby over a lot, and then he and Sol got Nala too. Our final fish turned belly up. Cal and Kate's hamster visits.
• Girls: Landon and Sol got engaged earlier in the year, and married on September 1. Cal and Kate are still totally tight and planning for the future. Keaton has hit several school dances but doesn't really "date" ... neither do Cooper or Colton. Unfortunately, Gray and I haven't gotten out much either. Other Westra Weddings ... Janika, Corin, Connor and Kaden. 
• Garden: Tons of tomatoes, a zillion zucchini and a plethora of pumpkins. Sunflowers too. 
• Grayson's (and Grandma's) Garage: It was quite the project. Tons of time and money and rearranging and perfecting. Had to get a storage unit for extra stuff. Gladiator strips and siding on the walls. I gave the grandparent's a tour and sparked them redoing their garage (and grandpa's cave ... Staircase to Nowhere). 
• Grayson's Getaways:  Off to Orlando in January with work for the Builder's Convention. A quick family trip to Seattle (sans Cal and I) in April. Work trips to California and Phoenix in May. Moab (work, but fun, rafting and razor rides) and Bear Lake (Gray and the littles), in July. Crashing Kolby's birthday in Portland in September, then a quick Canada/Seattle trip in November.
• Gray Gourmet: Grayson continues to smoke all sorts of yumminess. His latest foray into gourmet is Sous Vide. We enjoy his experimentation as he tries to perfect his trade. He added a broiler and refrigerator to his garage. His guacamole is legendary, he set out creative Caprese salad and made pretzel bites for the first (but not last) time.
• JenB's Baking: brownies, cookies, breads. New Grinch cookies.
• Gadgets: Alexa. Ring. 
• Games: Switch, Jackbox, and all the others. 
• Segway:  We got a Segway.
• Summer Stuff: Many trips to Pineview.
• Room Rearrange: With Landon moving out ... all the boys have their own rooms. New beds. 
• Medical Moments: Colton's knee. Anxiety issues. Blood Brothers (donating blood and plasma). 
• Musical Moments: We went to Hale's Aida ... Gray fell in love with some of the music. The Greatest Showman was big in theaters. Landon was able to go see Hamilton with Olivia. We had an Itunes family membership for streaming songs, but switched to Spotify at the end of the year. 
• Halloween: Painting pumpkins. Cal and Kate in scrubs (April and Matthew), Landon and Sol dressing up the animals. Connor's wedding. Colton off trick or treating. Keaton's Star Trek group. 
• Basketball: Colton's Copper Hills Grizzlies wrapped up their relationship as the team members went separate ways after Spring. He's continued playing with his Wolves (a grade up) and started with the West Jordan Bantam league. Keaton enjoys being part of the crowd cheering on the high school team, always dressing up for the themes. As far as play, Keaton is doing Junior Jazz again, but Cooper is sitting it out this year. Cal continues to play in a men's league. 
• Fitness, Fitbits and 5ks: Family 5k, Dirty Dash, home gym, Fitbit family again. Jen Zumba.
• School: Landon and Callahan have been attending SLCC, working toward their associate degrees. Cal switched his focus to electrical apprenticeship. Sol graduated. Keaton started his senior year at Copper Hills. Colton wrapped up his elementary experience, and he and Cooper are both at Elkridge (7th and 9th respectively).  School boundaries were realigned (or not really, in our area) causing a lot of speculation and stress. Cooper's school anxiety amped up. Summer homework (How We Roll). 
• Work: Grayson had a good year at Symphony Homes. Landon had been working at Discover but is making a change for next year. Callahan had enjoyed UPS, but then started working full time as an apprentice electrician. KFC keeps Keaton busier than we like. 
• Derby Daze: With the LDS church announcement about pulling out of Boy Scouts, we aren't sure what the future holds for Pinewood Derbies here in Utah ... but Gray had 45 this year! With Keaton working at KFC so much, Cooper has become Dad's right-hand man, although all the boys helped out at least once during the year.

I made the monthly "1 Second Every Day" videos throughout the year, and I combined them together for an all-inclusive annual review. 

2017 Recap

Well ... I was not a very productive blogger here in 2017. On this family blog, only about a dozen posts. I'd have other blog posts in my head, but they just didn't quite make it out of my head, through my fingers and onto the blog.

• Travel Time ... I blogged about Gray's trip to Mexico and the family vacation but there was a lot more.  A January trip to Orlando for work, a Portland weekend with a couple of the boys in March, Moab weekend with work guys early April, Bear Lake in June, St. George with the munchkins and extended family in August, biking White Rim and another Canada getaway (just Gray). I got it blogged. Grayson's Getaways 2017. 
• Medical Moments ... Not too much for us this year (yea!) Ingrown toenails (Cal was in twice), Stomach problems for Landon. Menieres moments. Extended family ... Chris and his semi-colon and Pam's head injury.
• Cars ... I never blogged about the Durango and Cal's Charger (well, I finally did, follow the link. I backdated the post to 2016). Still need to blog about 2017 car changes ... a Charger for Landon. Passing the Monster Truck to Keaton. Sequoya. 
• Other People's Pets/Maga's Menagerie ... been thinking of highlighting Maga's kittens, and chickens, and dog. Also the neighbor's dog who the kids have been hired to care for here and there. Dog bite this year as well :(
• Duck, Duck, Goose ... two geese, four ducks, two ducks then four ducklings again! DuckRun. 
• Apps ... stupid Snapchat (but funny faces) and fun Fight List (play with me!)
• Basketball ... I updated the Basketball Blog but meant to do a general wrap up here. Callahan's senior season and playoffs. Keaton's sophomore year. Cooper's Junior Jazz and Colton's Wolves (winter,  spring, summer, fall) and Grizzlies (winter, spring, fall).
• Girls ... dating and girlfriend stuff (mostly Landon and Callahan, but Keaton went to a girl's choice dance at school too). 
• Summer Stuff ... trips to the lake, little boys out with the older boys and their girlfriends (bowling, pool, Airborne). Movies ... I DID get the Seattle summer vacation blogged.
• Inflatable Fun ... the bop balls and t-rex. Bought but didn't try out the "inflata-bull"
• Eating Out ... many of the food gatherings were birthday related, but there were some good meals and fun photos. Neighbor dinner in the Spring. Red Robin with the Westra clan. Tepanyaki. Jen's b-day Red Robin. Gray's b-day Market Street and Windy Ridge. 
• Ice Obsession: Pebbled ice, ice balls, ice cubes ... Grayson is obsessed with ice.
• Starting School ... got the traditional pictures with all five boys. College kids too!
• Halloween ... didn't get pictures of all the costumes, but did capture me in a Whoopie cushion costume and Colton doing Thriller.
• Christmas (the annual "leg lamp lighting" to start the season. Lights on the house. BOXES! Sitting on Santa's lap. The Westra party, Christmas decor and Christmas morning.
• Birthdays ... Colton got a party this year! Finally!
• Home Sweet Home ... a switch up of "office space" and a new fridge (finally!), dishwasher and oven. The stovetop is induction, which also necessitated new pots and pans.
• Derby Daze ... Gray did 43 derbies this year. He attempted to limit his travel, not booking ones in Utah County (although there were still a few). Keaton was his right-hand man most of the time. 

I am still hoping that maybe I'll be able to get some/all of the above still. We'll see. If I do, I'll leave them at the top for a couple days and then move them to the chronologically correct spot. But I'll update with links.

Here's a quick look at the family. I really should have the boys do their own write-ups to see what makes it onto their list. I was really good at making them write Mr. Missionary every week, but that pretty much ended in 2016 because ...

• Landon returned from his Mexico Mission and started school at SLCC. He got a cool car which he takes good care of, and a job at Discover, to pay for said car (and all his new clothes).  He's been attending the young adult ward. He dove into the dating scene and got a girlfriend.
• Callahan finished up his senior year and graduated. Basketball season as a senior was memorable, with pro pictures and name drops in the news. State playoffs and a little post-season fun with friends. Super social, with buddies and his girlfriend. Wrapped up his time with KFC and started working at Caption Call. Started school at SLCC.
• Keaton moved from sophomore to junior and can now drive himself to school... in the Monster Truck Tundra no less! He also started working ... at KFC like Cal, but also still helping Dad run derbies. Finished up his season on the sophomore basketball team. He played Spring and Summer ball (St. George, UofU camp, CHHS camp) but decided not to try out come Fall, opting to play for fun with friends in Junior Jazz (where they are currently creaming everyone). 
• Cooper finished up 7th grade in the Spring, and started 8th in the Fall. He's got a great group of friends and enjoyed hanging out with them during the summer and after school. He's playing Junior Jazz with them again this year. . He lived in shorts for the first 3/4 of the year (and for quite a while before that) then suddenly started wearing joggers again. He got an iphone in the Spring and spends a little too much time on it. Obsessed with NBA, NFL and music.
• Colton started his final year of elementary school. He never stopped playing basketball, although Summer was only with his Wolves team. He got an iphone in the Fall (when Dad upgraded himself, then everyone) so now Mommy can stalk both little boys too.  The silly boy almost always sleeps in his clothes on the couch upstairs. 

• Jen (me) likes the structure of the school schedule, especially for exercise. Both the required rising at an early hour, and not sharing the gym with the boys ;) Still enjoying Zumba and leading classes somewhat regularly.  Reading a LOT (both digital and audio).
• Grayson works, works, works ... although he sure did use up all his vacation this year too. He's still smoking and as mentioned above, developed an obsession with ice. Yes ice ... frozen water.

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!)

2015 Recap ...

I did pretty good getting topics posted for 2015 ... not all were on time, there was a lot of backdated blogging going on. Better late than never though, right? Even with a fairly complete blog roll for the year, I really like an annual recap, a "year at a glance" type of post though, so here we go ...

• Missionary Moments: Landon left ... January was prep, and he left at the end of February. He has his own blog with weekly letters and photos (Letters From Landon) and the boys were quite good at writing weekly as well (with a little "encouragement" from Mom).  Olivia came home from her mission in May. 
• Family Photos: Before Landon left, we finally got some updated family photos and then Gray had some drawings/cartoon sketches made from them as well. 
• Home Sweet Home: With Landon gone, we rearranged rooms. Cal and Keaton now have their own rooms, and Cooper and Colton and sharing the room downstairs.  We switched to only cellular and gave up the home phone (801-280-0372). Maga finished up her move from Farmington to Riverton (Maga's Move)  ... just down the street from Clayton's family
• Cars: Callahan had turned 16 and started driving back in Feb, which worked out well, as Cal could drive the Avalanche Landon left behind. Until the Avalanche wouldn't pass emissions. We ended up trading it in and getting a new Dodge Durango, trying out a lease to see if we like it. We kept the Burb for a bit, that was now "Cal's car" ...
• Animals: We started 2015 with a kitty ... Introducing Oreo. We enjoyed him so much, we added another (A Tale of Two Kitties). Then Gray bought eggs and an incubator, and there were ducks! (Daddy's Duckies).
• Family Fun: We did quite a few hikes this year, canal walks and a walk around Silver Lake. There was a Cousins Campout in Maga's backyard, and a trip to Lagoon and Park City and Pineview. The boys went to the Gene Fullmer gym for basketball quite often, and there was some bowling. . Daddy took the boys to a few movies (PitchPerfect2, Pixals and Antman ... maybe more, we have picture proof of those) and we checked out Cabellas. Daddy made a new and improved water balloon filler for water fun
• Gray's Getaways: Vegas in January, Moab in March.  The BIG trip was Gray's European Vacation. Sanddunes in June (that rhymes!) and a St. George/CedarCity getaway in October. Gray flew to Seattle for the Fall Food Tour 2015.  Finally, a football bowl game in Vegas, and the Hoover Dam.  
• Biker Boy: Gray did quite a bit of biking this year.
• Basketball: There is always basketball! A couple of posts here on the family blog wrapping up the Spring season, then Fall Ball, but the Basketball Blog is the best place for all the details. Cooper even surprised me, wanting to join his friends on a Junior Jazz team. I set up separate social media accounts (FB, Instagram, Twitter) so as not to overwhelm the family accounts with all things basketball. Cal's crew went to Orlando in December. We went to a family Jazz game, Scott's crew invited us when they had box seats.
• Callahan: In addition to staying busy with basketball, 2015 was a big year for him, turning 16, getting his driver's license (and first ticket). Dating ... he had a girlfriend and went to Prom, Homecoming and more. AND he got a job, at KFC (several friends work there as well). 
• Cooper: Surprised everyone by doing a super slim-down and becoming uber-active, even beating Mom in Fitbit steps!
• Extended Family: I mentioned Maga's move, Olivia home from her mission. It was Spencer's wedding, and K&J flew in and we went to that together. The Zundel Reunion.  On the Westra side, we had a wedding as well (McKenna) and my Dad had a heart attack, but recovered. 
• Family Reunion and Family History: Gray planned a big Zundel family reunion that was very well attended. He also got into family history, working on Ancestory.com and going to visit several cemeteries on Memorial Day. He wrote up a few tributes (on FB) that I converted to blog posts here.

2014 Annual Recap

• Home Sweet Home: We got a new computer (mac for the family, living room) and then moved things around. New desk with the new computer, moving the old rolltop to yhe small room upstairs . It's now a homework center, and the "Lego/Scrapbook" room downstairs was cleaned up for Grayson to have a little home office.
• Vehicles: The Avalanche wouldn't pass emissions, and we couldn't get it registered. It was a stressor. We finally got a waiver, which put off any decisions about it for another year anyway. Grayson traded in his flatbed trailer for a covered trailer, much better for hauling derby stuff, especially in bad weather!
• Sickness & Ouchies: Four in the family got hit hard with the flu. Keaton took a tumble from the truck getting lots of skin scraped up. Landon got his wisdom teeth out. We were so happy that Callahan made it through the basketball season without breaking his foot!
• Sports Stuff: Colton was still playing soccer. Spring, and then Fall too. He also played Junior Jazz Jan/Feb and signed up for the next season when he could. Coop finished up his JJ season Jan/Feb, but didn't want to play when signups came around again. Cooper got to go to an NBA game, and loves watching all the action (we had to get cable for full access). Keaton played on a few teams (Bantam7th, SpringRec, Fall and playing in the upcoming Winter season. Cal finished up his 9th  grade year, did the AAU Spring Fling, and then made the sophomore team in the fall. He also won the church 3-point contest, had a tournament trip to Idaho and played a lot with friends at Gene Fullmer or local churches.
• Vacations: Gray had the builder's convention in Vegas to start the year. Gray, Landon and Cal went to New York (Maga, K&J and the girls too). The family (sans Jen) spent time in Seattle with Cousins. Gray, Landon and Keaton hit Lake Powell with work friends. Gray went out to Seattle again, for football and brother time. 
• Summer Stuff: Several trips to Pineview, and a Blackham Bash in Clay's backyard. All the boys adopted simple slip-on summer shoes. There was bouncing, bowling, bb guns and badminton.
• Scouts:  Both Colton and Cooper have been involved in boys scouts. Weekly activities, the pinewood derby (iphone car for Coop, basketball hoop for Colton), and day camp during the summer. There aren't many boys Keaton's age, so the summer camp at Bear Lake was combined with another ward/stake from South Jordan. Keaton was apprehensive at the start, but had fun and made some new friends. Gray went on a couple campouts with the boys, including running the rapids (and flipping over in said rapids). 
• School: Landon passed his AP class (Stats) and graduated! Cal had finished up his 9th grade year at West Hills, and started as a sophomore at Copper Hills. Keaton is now an 8th grader. Coop wrapped up 4th grade, with Mom volunteering in his class each week. We've had some struggles here starting up 5th grade. Colton is a big 3rd grader now.
• Christmas: We hit Clayton's Leg Lamp Lighting party, and also got a nice limo ride through the lights at Thanksgiving Point. 

It was a big year for Landon, with graduation, working construction summer and Fall,  and then Barnes and Noble come Christmas. Mission prep (the call, wisdom teeth out) and a little baptism practice, baptizing Colton at the start of the year! Callahan got his Learner's Permit and started to practice driving ... and he got a girlfriend. I got quite a few blog posts up about specific events, so you can read more if you want to in the month to month posts, but I think this captures the highlights of 2014. 

2013 Recap

 

I had a lot of pictures I was trying to stuff into this annual recap collage! Many topics have their own post with more in-depth detail that was published during the year, but I still like a general recap, everything at a glance ...

• Ages: Grayson turned 44, Jen 43, Landon 18, Callahan 14, Keaton became a teenager (13) and Cooper hit double digits (10). Colton turned 8 years old.
• School Stuff: The biggest news was switching the two littles from Columbia, on year-round, to Terra Linda, traditional. The on/off again of the tracks was hard (especially with Cooper), so while the move was hard, it was a good one. Coop wrapped up 3rd grade, then started 4th. Jen acting as room mother to provide a little extra comfort for Coop. Colton moved from 1st grade to second. Keaton changed schools too, finishing up his elementary years and joining Callahan at West Hills (7th grade). Callahan finished up his 8th-grade year and started up as a freshman. Landon started his senior year!
• Fun Zone: Kept the boys pretty busy during off-track time and summer, hitting lots of fun places. Allstar Lanes, Planet Play, Chuck-e-Cheese, Classic, Nicklemania, Jump N Bounce. With all the boys (and cousins) we hit Cowabunga Bay and the Children's Museum downtown. 
• Travel: Gray went to New York for some sightseeing with his work buddy Rob. Then the whole family (sans Jen) went to Seattle and Orcas Island. Coop "collected" license plates during the trip. Gray and the littles with Clay and cousins to Uncle Eric's cabin, and Gray, Landon and Callahan went to Lake Powell. While closer to home, just a day trip, there were several trips to Pineview and new WAVERUNNERS!
• Vehicles: In addition to Roxy and Susie (the new waverunners), Gray got a new truck, a lifted white Tundra. The Avalance was now available for Landon to drive. Unfortunately, the Avalanche was in an accident. Landon wasn't even in the car, it was hit in the school parking lot!
• Medical Mishaps: After finally healing from his broken foot, Cal was back to basketball and ... he broke his foot! Again. It was the other foot. He only got a couple games in his whole 8th grade year. Colton - my only unbroken boy, broke his wrist. Keaton had a trip into the ophthalmologist as there had been "floaties" in his vision. Coop had some teeth extracted, and Colton lost his first teeth and had some cavities filled. Gray struggled with Sciatica after snowmobiling with the scouts. Four of us were hit hard with the seasonal flu in February and all five boys got the stomach flu for Easter! Grandma Norman passed away. 
• Scouts: Gray ran the ward derby as usual, hosting a derby workshop beforehand. He looked into Legos, making that an option for derbies as well, hosting one for our ward. There were several scout outings too: snowmobiling, Topaz Mountain, the sand dunes. Callahan got his "Life".
• Basketball: Cal got a couple games in during the winter season before he broke his foot again. He played churchball too. Keaton wrapped up his first season in the Bantam League, and Colton played Junior Jazz. In the Spring, Colton moved to soccer, and played in the fall as well. Cal and Keaton played on the same team for the summer league. I signed up Cooper for basketball in the fall - he fought it at first but then ended up liking it. Fall was busy with three boys in basketball and Colton playing soccer. In Winter ... all four boys were playing. 

What else makes the headlines for the year?  Callahan got his braces off. Olivia left on her mission. There was a big hail storm. Blockbuster closed their doors. We replaced the old phone/answering machine with a new one, and added gadgets such as Nest and Roku. Jen upgraded her Fitbit to the new "One" and had success with weight loss again. Church was the 11:00 hour, with both littles in Senior Primary now! The kids enjoy Phineas and Ferb, Minecraft, Pokemon and Scramble (although it's Grandma Westra who is really addicted to that game!)

... and that was 2013!

Recap of 2010

So ... looking back on the year at a glance ... Grayson started a new job with Havenhill Homes, ran his first FULL marathon, went on two bike trips to Moab and ran a couple dozen derbies. Jen started blogging (140 posts for the year) and making muvees again. Landon got his braces off, started 9th grade, and is now totally acting like a teenager with constant texting and crushes on girls. Callahan got braces ON this year and kept busy with basketball all year round. Keaton tried his hand at baseball, and is enjoying basketball too. Cooper had a run in on the playground and broke his arm. He played soccer spring and fall, and is OBSESSED with basketball. Colton played soccer in the summer. He started his second year of preschool and needs constant playdates to keep him occupied while his brothers are in school.

2010 was a year without diapers, hurray! Colton finished up his potty training at the end of 2009, and after 15 years straight, we are done with diapers. There was lots of swimming in the summer ... we discovered Kearn's waterpark and bid farewell to the West Jordan Middle School pool. Dad and four boys vacationed in Seattle and Moab.

Jen discovered PIZZA ... ok still not regular, tomato sauce pizza, but just a white sauce with cheese. It's a family favorite now (was Mountain Mikes until they closed down, but Dominos has a good dinner deal). The Ipod TOUCH hit the family ... fun apps and texting ... and we can't forget to mention the introduction of Netflix to the home, which changed the way we watch (or rather, don't watch) tv.

In the extended family ... Maga moved! We've enjoyed more space in the new house when we visit. Clay and Courtney moved too. Grandma Henry passed away. Grandpa Norman passed away, Uncle Chris is going through a divorce and Derek and Danielle gave the boys a new little cousin.

2009 Recap

The year has come to an end. We spent New Year's Eve with family playing games ... "Apples to Apples" and "Ticket to Ride". The highlight of 2009 was our trip to California and Disneyland. Other memorable family activities were Lagoon Day, a rainy campout at Pineview, rafting the Provo River, a hike to Cecret Lake and running as a family in a 5K. Lots of Summer Fun! 

Grayson kept active this year rock climbing, mountain biking, running and playing racquetball ... and working out :) He ran the Moab 1/2 Marathon and rode the Heber Century (100 miles on a bike). Jen started up soccer again (after a 25 year hiatus), played some racquetball and volleyball and gives the treadmill and elliptical machines in the basement a daily workout.

I asked the kids what their main memories were of the year ...

Landon broke his arm at Jumping Jacks and got his first JOB as a ref for Jr. Jazz basketball. Callahan played basketball all year round; his team took 1st place the summer season, and he was recruited for a superleague team... he also got to play one on one with D Will of the Utah Jazz for a few moments during a "meet the player" activity. Keaton won $50 in a school coloring contest and got a fly IN HIS EAR during the above mentioned camping trip. Cooper graduated from preschool, started Kindergarten ... and discovered Pokemon. Both he and Colton finally mastered the ol' potty training this year, and Colton started preschool and primary and entertained everyone by singing "I make the good girls go bad" ... so that's the recap ... the good, the bad and the Blackham.

We've got some home movies up, if you want to see the Blackham Bunch in action! 2009 Part 1, 2009 Part 2, an assembly at Columbia Elementary and Sports (soccer and basketball).