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

November 2023

The printed calendar (featured in the center of the 1 Second Everyday Monthly Video) didn't look that busy for November. Writing in retrospect ... I'm sure it still felt busy (and I looked over my personal journal and added a few things that hadn't made it onto the calendar. I didn't rescan it though). 

There were a couple of birthdays ... I was given a cake at Zumba, I'd grabbed the family favorite oreo ice cream cake, and Gray grabbed an ice cream cake too, as well as flowers and a big balloon. We got all the boys over. We did a family Tepanyaki dinner to celebrate the birthdays over the weekend, then it was Gray's birthday with wacky cake and family blackjack (Cal was late for cake but there for cards).  

We hosted Thanksgiving ... that will get it's own post (better for blog searches on the subject). 

Basketball ... Cal's Men's League finished up their Fall season. Once high school ball is started, Colton can't play outside of that league, so we were glad he could squeeze in these final games and help the team to another set of championship t-shirts (Cal's Men's League/2023). Then it was basketball tryouts and the start of Colton's Senior Season.  They had an "intro to the team" game and then started play.

... Jen had her bookclubs and Zumba (in charge of the key at Mon/Wed class, some MZL drama for the Friday class), still making sourdough. Pickleball with the relief society ladies on Thursdays, and got in a couple sessions with Cooper at the park while the weather was still cooperating.  There were a few movies. Leg Lighting at Uncle Clay's. Grayson had a few game nights (one ending it stitches), Fisher House, a work birthday dinner, then a weekend trip to Moab. Kept up with his running and rucking.

I think that's a wrap for November.

Here's a live look - One Second Every Day.

https://youtu.be/oBzrK-baIlI?si=O8yaOiLV5zpipryE

October 2023

 

Ahhhh, October. Pumpkins were plentiful ... whether in cookie form, or growing in the yard (and inbetween the house and the gas meter) and there were lots of leaves. Cal and K8 got out for a photoshoot, and Gray and Jen took some drives ... and Gray did some more in the machines. 

Both Kolby and Jami came to town, on different weekends, so there were a couple Blackham gatherings (also Olivia's birthday). Ana was moving, and Kolby, Gray and Landon went to help. Landon tweaked his knee ... we didn't know it then, but he'd torn his ACL (it wouldn't be diagnosed for a few months).  Kolby stayed with us in our extra bedroom when he came to town. We had a night out at Mountain Mikes, and Coop enjoyed having a fellow footballer around for Sunday RedZone.

There was an eclipse! Keaton planned ahead and bought the special eclipse glasses. We weren't in the direct path, but still got to see a cool partial eclipse.  Next up ... April 2024. 

Lots of basketball for Colton ... practices with Coach Scott, some pre-season games with West Jordan, and more Top50 games, with the final on at the Delta Center downtown, on the NBA court!  His buddies came out to a game (one of his best) and he played a few with Cal and company in the men's league too. He has been having some pain in his hip, and we went to get it checked out. The recommendation? Rest ... Colton's not so good with resting and taking it easy.  He did have Fall Break, a week off school. 

We got in a final family pickleball (four of us at least) before Landon's injury ... who knows now when we'll have the people and the weather to play again?  Keaton took his journeyman theory tests and passed. He and Cal went to Bear Lake with Camsen to work, and Gray went the next weekend to play. And yes ... that's a new machine. 

On the food front ... Landon and Coop went out for pretzels. Gray made his cheese bites. Reeses shapes (pumpkins) are back in stores. Jen spilled flour all over refilling the flour container (still making bread every week).  We bought candy "for the trick-or-treaters" but managed it eat a lot of it ourselves. 

That's October with the Blackham Bunch!

Here's a look at "live" ... on second style.

https://youtu.be/j5uygx0sEWQ?si=AI4S8FcpC3eOPM49

September 2023

This will be backdated to September 2023

Behind on blogging ... it's actually March 2024 (shhhh, don't tell, glad I can backdate here). What were the Blackham Happenings in September 2023?

• San Diego: Gray planned a "birthday" trip (the August boys) to sunny California for a weekend. Unfortunately, there had been some storms that almost made him postpone, but they went, and the weather was fine.  For the flight there, Coop and Keaton had first class seats, but Gray didn't (not sure how that happened). They went on a jet boat ride, checked out the USS Midway - the aircraft carrier museum, got a caricature done (K&C said they guy sounded so much like THIS DUDE, who they love to watch, an imitate ... this type of talk happens a lot in the Blackham household) went to Sea World. Lots of eating out, The Fig Tree, Liberty Station, Coop said Del Frisco was yummy, he loved the rolls. Coop and Keaton binged Avatar during the trip, and they had to take time out for the Fantasy Football draft (very important to Cooper!) Coop also pulled out his PokemonGo while he was out and about (he hasn't been playing much, if at all, at home). 
• Jen EEG: I'd had an EEG after the first fall (now knowing it was a seizure) with no real feedback. After a second seizure, the Neurologist wanted a "continuous EEG" where I got to be hooked up, electrodes all over, a connected monitor/recorder attached (fanny pack) and constant video recording (a separate camera I'd have to set up and move around as I did). This was to go on for four days, Tuesday - Friday, mid-month. I also had to check in at the hospital (IHC in Murray) daily. While it wasn't painful, it was inconvenient and definitely curtailed what little activity I have daily. I didn't leave the house except for the daily hospital check-in. Still got some walks on the treadmill, but no Zumba or pickleball ... which was probably good, as I was also not allowed to shower. Again, no real info from the test (probably nothing conclusive unless another seizure happened while wearing it). Nothing more in store on the medical front, just "wait and see" what happens ...
• Covid: Our immediate family (the WJ crew) had done a decent job of avoiding Covid in 2020, 2021 and 2022. But it caught me back in February, and Gray tested positive this month (traced the contagion to a guy's night poker game. One fellow tested positive the next morning, let the others know, and several came down with it). Coop ended up getting it too. We are happy that his new job was understanding about it. 
• Job Changes: Back in January, Keaton had decided to leave CamsenElectric/Residential and try his hand at more commercial construction (K2). After several months working there, he decided that he preferred the residential, and Camsen (and Cal!) was happy to have him back. It hasn't taken Keaton long to get back up to crew lead, with a van. Cal has moved into more of a supervisory position, and the company traded his work van for a nice truck. 
• Birthdays: Landon's birthday was here in September, we had the usual cake w/candles (cheesecake for Landon). We did a birthday dinner at Bucca De Beppo too (to celebrate the three boys, Keaton and Coop who had just had their birthdays the last week in August). Landon got himself some cowboy boots (fairly mainstream at LKL where he works). 
• Hiking & Biking: Gray and Landon have stayed uber active! See More Hikes: August/September for details ... Flag Rock, Donut Falls, Bountiful Canyon, Lake Mary. Landon hit Olympus on his own. Grayson has added a rucksak for weighted hiking. Gray did some biking too (Bike Boy)... a lot on Legacy. 
• Basketball: Colton stayed busy (as always) with training with Coach Scott, some pre-season games with the WJ Jags, and the Top50 league. Cal had his Men's League on Wednesday nights. Keaton even joined in for one of the games,, and had a little league on the side (that he wouldn't give me details on, he didn't want me coming to watch and video). 
• Homecoming: Colton wasn't really planning on attending the school Homecoming dance, but then he was nominated for prom king, and made it into the top vote. So he snagged a date and went through all the "kingly" activities ... he had to do a little dance off, be presented at the Homecoming football game. Ultimately, he didn't get the crown, but he'll always be king of the court!

We got in our usual weekly pickleball, and I (re)introduced racquetball to Landon when the guys in were SanDiego (and we wouldn't have enough to pickle). Landon and Coop did a little r-ball too. Gray got in more golf. There was a Blackham pizza night with extended family in Riverton. 

Here's a live look ... 1 second style.

 

https://youtu.be/L7jMMpHBHqI

On to October ...

August 2023

 This will be backdated to the end of August ... I generally try to stay on top of the monthly recaps, but in actuality, it's October. There were a few things deserving of their own individualized posts that I needed to get done before the monthly recap. 

With August comes the end of summer ... fitting in all the fun we can before school starts up (even though Colton is really the only one in school full time).  There was hiking and biking, Topgolf and Zumba, and pickleball (not pictures of pickle this month though, although the new "picklesmash" game got some photos and video). Coop, Landon and Jen tried out some racquetball as well. A couple trips, some birthdays and a new job. More details below ...

• Basketball: As always. Cal and crew (including Colton) finished up the men's league with a championship win and t-shirt. Colton had practices with Coach Scott most Mondays/Saturdays and went to ball in Orem a couple times too. 
• Birthdays: Happy birthday to Cooper (20) and Keaton (23). Group birthday dinner was pushed to September (Landon's B-day coming right up too). We had a couple of cakes, but our go-to favorites (the Sam'sClub chocolate, Reams Cookies&Cream Ice Cream Cake) were no where to be found. Costco's white mousse cake is a newer favorite and filled in for Coop's birthday celebration (and it must be smaller, because it was pretty much eaten in its entirety) and Keaton got homemade lemon jello. The new PickleSmash game was a gift for the boys and it's a lot of fun.
• Hiking and Biking: Gray joined Scott for a bike ride, and got in a couple rides with Zac from work. More hiking with the Symphony/EMI Hiking Challenge ... too much for one post! You can see the original post from April/May,  June/July Hikes and August/September Hikes. The BIG one for August was a night hike up Timp to see the Sunrise. Landon joined Gray and others from Symphony. Check out the posts for details, songs, poems from Gray and ChatCBT - his clever write ups for work preserved here on the blog. 
• Hale/Newsies: I've enjoyed Newsies ... both the Disney-fied update and the stage version. It was on my list of shows I'd like to see, so Gray got tickets and we hit a show.
• In Diapers: Symphony does several community outreach projects. A monthly dinner at Fisher House for Veterans, and here in August, a diaper drive ... a "Parade of Homes" with the homes being built from boxes of donated diapers. Check out more about this DiaperDay, there was a little newstory and you can see a familiar face in the video clip. It was fun for Gray to run into several former co-workers too.
• Travel: The BIG trip was Grayson going to London/Paris for a week+ ... it started out just him and a Symphony buddy, then another Symphony couple joined them. Gray was good at keeping in touch with pictures, emails and texts, which was a bit of a built in blog post. You can see more about his travels HERE. At the end of the month, Grayson, Keaton and Cooper headed out to SanDiego for a birthday weekend. More on that next month, as it overlapped into September. Landon also had a weekend work trip to Idaho.
• Lake Day: Gray had hit the lake a few times in July with work friends, but we got a Blackham Family Lake Day in August. Perfect weather, and everyone got wet and a little sunburned.
• NEW JOB! Coop was finishing up his work at the school for summer, but gave his notice that he wouldn't be continuing once school started up again. He wanted something full-time, and we were hoping a perfect job might happen along ... and it did! You can read more about it HERE.
• School Starting: Colton is a SENIOR this year!
• Repairs: It's always something ... the Durango wouldn't start. It was a few days of Jen needing to run Cooper to his shift at the school before Landon replaced the battery, and that did the trick. Back up and running (well ... driving). The recliners we had purchased a few years ago had a recall (something with the lights) so one afternoon a repairman came in to switch some stuff out on those. 
• Garden: The garden has been growing, lots of pumpkin vines, zuchinni, cucumbers, beans and tomatoes. And marigolds, reseeded themselves like crazy! The hydrangea and hyacinth have been blooming in the front flowerbed. The sprinklers cover the lawn, but the garden needs handwatering, which gets a little tiring - worth it? Received a LOVELY bouquet of home-grown flowers from a friend in the neighborhood. 
• JenBsBooks: Two bookclub meetings (Mickey7 and The Peach Rebellion) and an extra one for The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion ... meeting with one of Mom's friends. 30 books and 8945 pages total, everything reviewed and rated on Goodreads and Storygraph. 

I think that about covers things for August ... love that I can backdate on the blog!

Here's a LIVE LOOK - 1 Second Style

https://youtu.be/ici-nxUI8pA?si=hyz99sOJ2qph6I7G

2023 ~ July Recap

 

July was a very busy and active month! Lots of sports stuff, some travel, lake days ... there were the July 4th and 24th holidays, and an anniversary (#31).

• Basketball: As always ... Colton and two trips to California with his Metro team. Once flying with one of the coaches and his buddy Carter, and the second time with the folks (you can see more about the Gray/Jen/Colton Goes to Cali HERE). Finally got some footage with this team, and the highlight videos are on YouTube. Colton played in a men's league game with Cal too, and Keaton has been playing some pickup ball with his buddies (and got Cal and Colton to join one Saturday morning). 
• Pickleball, Wiffleball and Badminton: We try to get at least four of the BlackhamBunch out for pickleball each week. Landon had been wanting to try wiffleball, and finally found some time and a crew to join him. We got in a little badminton in the front yard, had to get new racquets as the older ones literally had holes in them. 
• Hiking: Is still happening. Landon and Gray did Lake Blanche, and Gray and his work buddy Zach hit Gloria Falls and Cecret Lake. I need to update the hiking post.
• Lake Days: Gray and Keaton took the waverunners up to Pineview to make sure they were in running order, then Grayson went a few evenings with work buds and their kids. There is a Blackham Lake Day planned for next month. 
• Spartan Run: Landon did the Spartan Run ... not your usual 5k, twice as long, with obstacles & challenges. Landon was able to grab a few pictures from the race and did a write up, so check out the blog post about it.
• Dates: GB and Jen hit a little cooking class at Bosche on Saturday, with a stop at Italian Village afterward. There was a RedRobin run (they've changed their cheesesticks) and looking at little libraries (thinking of installing one at our house). We went to MountainMikes and checked out the Float Preview Party. 
• Work Social Stuff: Symphony hosts a dinner at the Fisher House monthly during the summer, providing food for the families of vets who have come in for medical care. There are some other work food days where Gray is providing his smoking skills, and he's a party planner too, hosting an engagement party for a work buddy as well. 
• New E-Bike and Scooter: We got a new e-bike (just as we heard news of Uncle Arnold's accident) and scooter. Jen hasn't done much on the bike, but she did get on and give it loop right around the neighborhood. 
• Repairs: Our stovetop stopped working ... it was an expensive repair, but we are back in business. The Durango's check engine light came on again, so another repair there as well. 
• Bear Lake: We got the Blackham Bunch out for a family weekend at Bear Lake. Read more about it HERE. 
• Books: Jen has been reading per usual ... perhaps a little over the norm. 29 books this month, many were smaller ones. Favorites were The Wishing Game, and two historical fiction, The Peach Rebellion and The Paris Daughter. Keaton had expressed a little interest in an audiobook after being given a book by a co-worker. He wasn't getting through it reading and thought an audiobook might be more efficient. He can to the expert, and had the app/audiobook in hand moments later and was able to finish. Keaton then said he'd be willing to try something fiction, so he was set up with that, and has gotten through a few books. Cooper also said he'd try listening while at work, and went back to an old favorite, the Hatchet series. It's been fun being able to discuss books with the family! 

Here's a look back at the month one second style ...

https://youtu.be/OmFfHyT8pzo

2023 ~ June Recap

 

June ... Summer is in full swing. More hiking, some golf, some getaways, and basketball, as always. There was hail, and Hale, and haircuts. Pickleball and poker (ok, it was Blackjack, but alliteration!) More medical appointments and the annual Westra gathering for Father's Day. Cal&K8 have become puppy parents!

• Basketball - Colton had a busy month. He has had some practices with Metro, and training with Coach Scott. One week was team camp at the high school (he got the "camper of the day" award on Thursday, and was awarded "camper of the week" at the end - won an Echo Dot). He went down to St. George for a tournament with the school team and got to play in the AllStar game, and then played up at the U in a tournament there. There were also a couple car wash fund raisers to help pay for said tournaments and camps. 
• Staying Active: There is a Blackham Bunch at the pickleball courts every Sunday morning, trying to beat the heat (which wasn't bad in June). It's so much fun! Gray has added more hikes (see the updated post about the Symphony Hiking Challenge HERE) - he and Landon summited Olympus, and Landon has gone on some hikes himself. Gray had a golf activity for work and roped Landon into that too (Landon does quite a bit of "client entertainment" on his job - mostly TopGolf thus far, but it's good to improve ball & club skills). You can see a post about that HERE. Gray did a little writeup for work, as he does for the hikes, getting creative with ChatGPT. Jen has her Zumba Mon/Wed/Fri and pickleball with the relief society ladies on Thursdays. 
• Bear Lake: Gray got invited up to a work friend's place at Bear Lake ... it's quite rustic, so he rented an RV to be a little more comfortable. The water was too cold to play in, so it was mainly just hanging out. Landon was under the weather for a day. 
• Medical Moments: Jen had been hit with something at the end of May, and it was still hanging on a bit as June started. She had a follow-up with her family physician, met with a cardiologist (the ER doctor has seemed to think that was a good next step) and had a heart monitor tracking for a few days. Ultimately though, based on the video of the fall (caught on the grocery store cameras) and the aftermath, we're thinking it's neuro. There was an appointment with Neurology at the end of the month. Jen will start some anti-seizure medication and we'll hope for the best. 
• Doggie: I guess it was Callahan who was pushing for a doggy (even though K8 is the one who grew up with one). They adopted Vera from a shelter and are now proud puppy parents. Kate posted a bunch of pictures on Instagram showing how cute she is and how happy they are followed by "I've also cried every single day the last three weeks. Vera was a stray and bounced around shelters her whole life. She has a lot of behavioral issues to correct. She's chewed through her crate, ate my snake plants, scratched our walls and shutters, costs an arm and a leg. I'm exhausted and am grieving my freedom and I love her with all of my heart."  Many of the Westras got to meet her at the family Father's Day gathering.  Coop also was on Doggy Duty for the neighbors at the end of the month. 
• Westra Group Gathering: Hosted by Scott and Amy, as it has been for the past many years ... but now at the Havenmoor House, which has hosted many a Westra party too! It was fun to visit with family and to see all the updates and renovations.  
• Charger Changes: Colton's Charger had its spoiler ripped off at the local car wash. We scheduled it out so that the repair was done the week he was in St. George, so that timing worked out well. One day Jen drove the Charger to Zumba as Colton was traveling further (let him have the Tesla) and it totally confused one of Jen's Zumba ladies who thought someone else was at the church when she didn't she the traditional vehicle, but this "muscle car".  The Charger needed its registration renewed ... oops, that's still on the to do list!
• Food: Jen continues to make sourdough, several loaves every week (about a dozen). She tried making bagels for the first time, and Cooper has been creating homemade breakfast sandwiches. Coop also tried his hand at making a cheese ball (Gray had been grabbing them from the store, a favorite snack). There were snickerdoodles and homemade pizza ... Gray bought ANOTHER pizza oven (we now have three). 

We all started the month with HAIL ... it was a crazy storm. The next weekend it was HALE, as Olivia had invited Jen to go see Hello Dolly there. Aunt Olivia also came over and did a haircut housecall. Landon shaved off his beard ... for a bit, it's already back!  Jen had two bookclub meetups ... the books were The Measure (recommend this one) and Mrs. Mike. 21 books total for the month. 

Here's a look back at the month live - one second style

https://youtu.be/i1gdDaBoE00

2023 ~ May Recap

 Memories from May ... 

• Jen's Medical: The head is healing ... it's a pretty big/bad scar this time, that not even a lot of hair covers up all the way. It's been a little tough getting back to the exercise and eating. Walks on the treadmill and Zumba have been fine (there was even an evening Zumba session with the Young Women), with pickleball added back in. A tetanus shot was needed near the end of the month after some gardening ended with an encounter with a rusty piece of metal ... and the day after that Jen was hit with dizzies and nausea. Couldn't get out of bed for the whole day (500 steps on the Fitbit). Hoped it was a one day thing, but it stuck around for about a week, getting only slightly better each day. But it was a solid week without leaving the house, and not leaving the bed much. Missed out on Colton's Wolves basketball tournament :(
• Car Stuff: Gray's truck wouldn't start mid-month ... and luckily we're in a pretty good situation with Coop/Jen able to share the Durango, so Grayson was able to take the Tesla while the truck was in the shop. Landon has been driving a work vehicle for a while, but with the divorce final and the house sold, he was in a good spot financially to finally get a car. It's a  2023 Toyota Camry - and it's RED! In addition to Colton's Charger having the spoiler ripped off at the car wash (and that's not something they claim responsibility for) his front license plate gets bent every time he goes through. He installed a plate frame to help with that issue before it broke off completely.
• Ice Ice Baby: Our icemaker in the freezer has been having issues for a long while. Sometimes it would work fine, then other times ... nothing. Then it would drop some ice cubes and pour water directly over them creating a big, solid block. We are super spoiled with out nice commercial pebbled ice maker, but we want the bigger cubes too. I called for repair ... it took FIVE trips. But we have ice again. Finally.
• Keaton's Corner: Keaton moved into his place back in March. Not many photos were taken the first day, and we hadn't been back to see him settled, until now. So if you wanted to see his spot, you can check out the blog post HERE. 
• Blackham Bunch Activities: The Blackham's got together for an MS Walk at Veteran's Memorial Park, super close by! You can read a little more about it HERE. We also gathered to try out Clay's new pizza oven (the WJ Blackham's have a couple ovens that have been used quite a bit the last year or so). The dessert pizza was a hit!
• A Trip to the Tulips: Gray surprised Jen with a day date to see the tulips at Thanksgiving Point ... with the cooler weather, there were still a lot in bloom later in May. You can see photos HERE. 
• Mother's Day: A lovely bouquet of flowers. It was drizzling, but we did a little family pickleball in the rain. Cal and Kate had been gone but got back in time to drop by in the evening.
• Pickleball: We've been hitting the pickleball courts each week. Originally Keaton had said he didn't care for the game as much, but he's become one of our regulars as well. He has a crazy lob! So there are five regulars (Jen, Coop, Landon, Cal and Keaton) and once in a while we get Gray and Colton out too. Jen also plays once a week with the relief society ladies, and went with a friend to an evening session in Murray. 
• Basketball: Colton had a tournament with the WJ Jags the first week of May. Jen's still been cautious (especially in the evenings, driving and going out alone) and so Landon accompanied her to the first game, Keaton was the chauffer for a late Friday night game (the boys had a great comeback). Colton has still been practicing with Metro and with Coach Scott. He had a final tournament with the Wolves (they won the championship) and Cal's men's league has started up again, and Colton has been filling in there when they need an extra man. 
• Hiking Hubs:  Grayson's hiking adventures were mentioned in the April update, and the dedicated blog post about all his activities has been updated. New hikes, pictures, maps, there's even a haiku and new lyrics to a hit song (with a little help from ChatGPT). Scroll down HERE to see the latest updates. 
• Books! Jen's Bookclub read(s) this month were Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk (had a bit of a "To Kill a Mockingbird" feel. Wrote a lot on the GoodReads review!) and The Measure by Nikki Erlick (what would happen if everyone over the age of 22 suddenly had the choice to see how long they had to live?) Tons of discussion ideas on this one. Horse by Geraldine Brooks was another favorite.
• ByeBye Beta: Colton had received a little Beta fish last year (an answer/ask to a date/dance). The kitties loved to drink out of the beta bowl (ewww, fishy poop) and one day I found the bowl knocked over and poor Beta exposed. I scooped him up and put him in water, and he was alive, but never quite the same after that. It was a bit of a relief when he was out of his misery, and flushed. 
• Cal&Kate: It was a busy month for these two. They had a weekend away in St. George, then a trip to Oregon. Kate also had a birthday!

School was wrapping up as the month ended ... so things will shift into a summer schedule for the next few months.  Here's a look at a month of memories one second style ...

https://youtu.be/PTgKoSoepcM

2023 ~ April Recap

 

April ended ... time for a recap!

• Weather/Nature: Can you believe there was a SNOW day, in April? School moved online and Colton's basketball banquet had to reschedule. A little later in the month, we had some lovely showers with a rainbow though. Mid-month, all the grass seemed to turn green. Gray and Jen went and walked around the Capital to see the cherry blossoms in bloom. 
• Staying Active: We are pickleball people again, starting up our weekend sessions outdoors again. Jen is still Zumba-ing (with a little break this month ... yeah for backup teachers!) and she, Coop, Colton and Landon share the home gym. Gray has been hiking, and biking. Symphony Homes has a hiking challenge going, and Grayson wants to be king of the mountain!
• Basketball: The high school season officially ended with the end of year banquet and awards. Colton has been training with Coach Scott on Mondays and some Saturdays, with Metro every other weekend, and had his first travel tournament in Arizona (traveled with the team). 
• Gray's Getaways: Grayson and Landon flew out to San Diego to have a weekend in the sun and have a little fun. 
• ER Again: Jen fell down and broke her crown. Again. Details here ...

Other activities this month ... four of the SuperSmash(Blackham)Bros went to see the Mario movie, Aunt Olivia made a haircut housecall, Colton had Prom and there was some Blackham Blackjack in play. On the Westra side, it was McKenna's baby shower, and it was fun to see all the updates to the Havenmoor House and visit with family. We had some annoying power outages (Power Ponderings). Lots of family bought expensive FunkyPop Popcorn (Colton's basketball fundraiser), we had Skookie and ate the last of the shaped Reeses (now we have to wait until the pumpkins come out for Halloween. But that should be ... July?)

Here's a look at the month - one second style

https://youtu.be/G_vjrW4ZQwI

2023 ~ March Recap

 

Picking up where we left off in February ... Jen was finally getting over her sickness (Covid, then maybe strep?) and Landon was at a work road trip to Reno. March was memorable because of the MOVE ... Keaton found an apartment and is going to try this "adulting" thing living on his own. That lead to some changes back at the Blackham house too, and Landon had some moving on as well. There were a couple getaways, book club, continued car concerns and some basketball (is there ever NOT basketball?) Read on for more details ...

• Keaton's Corner: Keaton's been thinking about getting his own place for a while. He didn't really want a roommate (he likes things how he likes them) and found a cute basement apartment that fit the bill. It's close by, about 10min away in South Jordan, just East of the Oquirrh Mountain temple. Upstairs it's three guys (two brothers and a friend) and the basement apartment is new. Coming from home, Keaton didn't have a lot of house stuff (we joked he needed a house "shower") and we spent a Saturday shopping for some furniture (recliner/loveseat) and kitchen supplies.
• Here at Home: With Keaton's room now unoccupied, the bed from the master was moved into it and Gray and Jen went shopping for a new bed (it had been many years with the existing mattress). New bed set, headboard and new curtains, and now there needs to be more updates to match the color scheme (of Gray/Black, what else) such as new nightstands, paint, flooring... since Jen's sickness in February, there has been snoring; so the backup bed is actually getting some use for the sake of sleep.
• Landon's Life: Landon finally submitted a photo of his office setup at work ... very nice! He had some moving to do as the house sold. He helped Sol and Rosa move (Rosa had kept her old place) and the divorce was finalized. Landon has been on a low-fat/keto plan, and won a weight-loss challenge at his work (30 pounds!)
• Cal & Kate continue to work and have fun. Kate sent some pictures of their activities, including climbing and TopGolf. They cut down the big old tree in their backyard. Cal's knee finally got better, and he's back to work, and basketball. 
• Car Concerns: Keaton's car has been giving him some trouble, with the electrical suddenly going out. We had it in to a couple places and got the battery replaced, and hopefully that will be the needed fix. While it was out of commission, Keaton borrowed either the Tesla or Durango.  The Tesla got a nail in the tire. Again. I think we've had to replace all four tires in the year that we've had the car. We got an estimate on replacing the spoiler on the Charger ...
• Coop went bowling with cousins/Olivia over Spring Break, and he and Jen are back to playing ping pong. With Keaton moved out, Cooper is picking up the slack on some of the odd jobs around the house, emptying the dishwasher and taking out the trash. When Coop started to put away some dishes that were dirty, we got one of those clean/dirty magnets to keep track.   
• Colton has been super busy. He had a weekend leadership camp (the school chose one guy and one girl to attend), a tournament with his Wolves basketball team, and several training sessions with Coach Sawyer, Coach Scott and his new Metro team.  He went on a Spring Break trip to Vegas with a couple of families... one of them his girlfriend's family. Yes, Colton has a girlfriend. He did a write up HERE.  
• Gray's Getaway: Gray and Keaton took the RZR down to Sand Hollow for a weekend, leaving West Jordan in a snow storm to head for sunnier skies. 
• Jen has stayed busy with books, baking and the usual exercise/activities. February bookclub had been pushed to March because of the big snowstorm, so there were two meetings in March. Jen loves books, and got through 22 stories this month. Still making sourdough, and she added a new long baker and has loved the results. Zumba-ing every Mon/Wed and most Fridays, with ladies pickleball on Thursday mornings. Treadmill and elliptical in the home gym. 

Here's a look at March one-second style ...

https://youtu.be/WzNTZcn7a6o

2023 ~ January Recap

 

January 2023 ... New Year's Day, new calendars, SNOW ... basketball and the builder's convention. Biggest update ~  Keaton got a new job. Here's highlights:

• New Year's Day: After an uneventful New Year's Eve (no real plans, to bed early) we headed to Clay and Courtney's for the annual Pastry Wreath. The weather made the trip a bit scary!
• SNOW: Lots of snow to usher in the first day of the year! Enough that Zumba was cancelled the next day and a HUGE pile of snow was formed in front of the house. Lots of shoveling.
• BASKETBALL: Colton is busy with basketball (see the post on the BlackhamBall blog with all the current season info). Going early before school, practices after, team dinners on Thursday nights and of course games! Almost every Tuesday and Friday. While the WJ team is struggling (hasn't won a game in region play) Colton has been getting some good numbers and recognition. Jen has gone to every game, Gray and the bigger boys have hit several. Cooper has not attended in person, but goes over the clips (helps for the highlights) so he still sees the games and has gotten to know the team from home. 
• Fantasy Football: Cooper won (3rd place) in his fantasy football league. There is an entry fee, which goes towards the rewards. Coop won $200. Uncle Kolby AND UncleClay/Cousin Will were participating this year.
• New Job: Keaton had been wanting to expand his electrical knowledge to more that residential building. After looking to see who was hiring and going in for a few interviews, he's started a new job with K2 Electric. He turned in his Camsen company van (which frees up space in the driveway) and is back to driving his Corolla. Right now, the company put him on a residential build, which turned out to be a good thing, as it gave him a chance to shine right off the bat. Callahan will miss having Keaton at the same company.
• Continued Car Concerns: We had to take Colton's Charger in after it started "clicking" and then the Durango "check engine" light came on again and needed a repair. Told our mechanic "Thanks, but hope we do NOT see you again soon!" Luckily this was done early in the month when we still had Keaton's Corolla as an "extra" car. With the Camsen work van gone, and Keaton's Corolla in daily use, we rearranged things so that it could park in the third car garage (saving Keaton the early morning scrape in winter) ... it's a tight fit, and the Corolla is the smallest car.
• Builder's Convention: At the end of the month, Gray and a couple others from Symphony headed to Vegas for a few days for the International Builder's Convention. 
• Westra Sibling Dinner: Got almost all the Westra siblings and the folks out to Olive Garden in American Fork. Family and Food!
• Just Jen: Still making sourdough three times a week, still teaching Zumba ... had a session with the Achievement Day girls this month. Still playing some  PokemonGo ;) Not much blogging in January (a couple posts on the family blog) but an increased obsession with books. Updated her Goodreads, joined another tracking website (Storygraph) and joined a bookclub in the neighborhood, which meets monthly.

It's been a year since Jen went boom ... happily no ill effects from that fall. With the new year, deductibles and out of pocket medical bills have reset. Gray cut his finger pretty good prepping a meal ... perhaps should have had stitches, but it's healing. Keaton is finally feeling back to normal after his Carpal Tunnel surgery. Most everything else with the family is continuing to go on per usual. 

December 2022

 

December is done, and so is the year. December is dedicated to Christmas prep and the holiday itself - but let's not forget Colton's birthday and basketball. Landon got us interested in the World Cup, and we had the games on and were watching the finals.  Here's the recap for month ...

• Watching the Weather: There were a couple BIG snows ... the snowpack actually looks pretty good this year, already! One snowfall was "dirty" which coated the cars and required them all to get in to the carwash.
• Auto Issues: We were losing air in one of the Tesla tires ... nail in the tire. Again. Unrepairable. Again. Mentioned last month and this was the same situation (not a third one) but the diagnosis was the end of November, and the trip in for the replacement was this month (they didn't have it in stock, luckily it was a slow leak, and we have an air compressor in the garage). Had to take the Durango in to check the "check engine" light, but it didn't seem to be anything much. 
• Medical Moments: Grayson got in for his first colonoscopy - everything was fine. He's still been struggling with skin issues, had a biopsy and is trying some new medication now. Colton has a monster wart (it's named "Daisy") and while we got into the dermatologist this month, it's not a quick/easy fix. With basketball, Colton decided to wait and not risk anything interfering (more than it might already) with his fingers. Keaton has been struggling with carpal tunnel issues, and went ahead and had the surgery at the end of the month. We are hopeful that it will be worth it and he won't have problems with it anymore. With Jen's bonk at the beginning of the year, we hit our deductible and out of pocket, so went ahead with more doctor's visits than we might have otherwise. 
• Basketball: Colton's season is in full swing, with games Tuesdays/Fridays. The first three games away were losses, but then Colton had great games at home (tied the school record for most points in a single game, 37) and they won their first on the road on his birthday. They played three games over the Christmas break. Cal's men's league finished up their season, and they won the championship in OT! 
• Birthday: Colton turned 17 ... his birthday was on gameday, and we hardly saw him. He got his cake a couple days later, we took the picture ... I don't know if he even ate any. He got some WJ Basketball clothes for his birthday.
• Exercise: Gray took a picture of the Peloton at the Symphony work gym at Jen's request ... he's been enjoying it, so it needed to be documented. Jen continues to teach Zumba, several Christmas songs for the holiday season. The home gym gets a workout too from Cooper, Landon and Jen (all 24 Christmas movies featured were watched while walking on the treadmill).
• Work and Family Parties: Cal & Keaton had a work party with Camsen. Keaton needed to take a white elephant, and I pulled out the HUGE Crazy Frog doll I'd purchased years ago, for just such a need. He said it was a hit. We had the Blackham Bash on December18, with gingerbread house decorating and the cash cube again. On the Westra side, the gathering was on Christmas Eve and was held at the new house in Highland. Candybar game, calendars and slideshow per usual.
• Kitchen Creations: Jen continually makes sourdough, but did skip a week to prep for parties. You can see a little bit more about the December Desserts in their own blog post. Chex mix, swig cookies, brownies, rolls and breadsticks. Chicken noodle soup for both gatherings as well. 
• Blackham Christmas Pizza: Christmas gifts are always a bit of a challenge to people who already have everything they need/want. In previous years, Gray has been out buying last minute giftcards. This year, we just did cash ... but it was creative! Jen ordered some pizza boxes and Grayson took over from there, designing, folding and even adding "pepperoni" pieces. 

In past years, we've invited the folks out for games on New Year's Eve. The weather was iffy, and now that they have to travel much further, they elected to stay closer to home. We were pretty boring on December 31 ... the boys were watching TV, and Gray and Jen went to bed around 10.00. Zzzzzzzz.

November 2022

November ... Thanksgiving, birthdays, basketball, and a few other things going on. Here's a recap of the  month:

• Basketball: There were tryouts for high school basketball. Colton will be starting Varsity this year. They've been having practices, conditioning, fundraisers (chick-fil-a night night) and had their first game. Callahan is playing in a men's league on Wednesday nights too. 
• Birthdays: Grandma/Margie, Mom/Jen and Dad/Gray all have November birthdays. We got the traditional white cake with buttercream frosting from Sam'sClub (although it's no longer standard, you have to special order it) and had the folks over. We recreated a cute picture from 13 years ago and played some games. Gray had a lovely bouquet delivered. 
• Eating Out: The Westra side got together with all the adults for a dinner at Asian Star to celebrate Margie's 80th birthday. On the Blackham side, we went to Olive Garden for Ana's birthday. For a Jen/Gray birthday dinner, we went to Mountain Mike's for yummy pizza, breadsticks and mini churros. 
• Sadies: Colton and crew went to the school Sadie Hawkins dance. The theme was "Hollywood" and Colton and his date went as a Topgun couple. 
• Gray's Getaways: Grayson spent two weekends in St. George riding the red rocks in his RZR.
• Medical: Jen had her follow-up testing ... an MRI and an EEG. While neither was terrible, she doesn't really want to do either again (and glad to get them done this year when the deductible and out-of-pocket has been met). Keaton had a consultation for his wrist - carpal tunnel surgery is scheduled for next month. Gray got into the dermatologist to deal with a rash on his ankle. Colton had his annual physical (required for school sports). 
• Car Troubles: Colton's Charger had brake problems, shaking as he slowed. We were able to get it in for repairs (grateful to have Keaton's Corolla as a backup). A tire on the Tesla was losing air, again! We'd just replaced one of it's tires (not-repairable) a couple months ago, and the Durango had been in twice for nails in the tires. It's that new neighborhood under construction right by us! Like last time, the tire was not repairable and had to be replaced. 
• Ice Issues: The ice maker in the fridge likes to go on the fritz. It will stop making ice, for no apparent reason ... and then start up again. We've learned to just wait it out and are grateful for the pebbled ice maker downstairs. This month, the ice maker would pour water directly into the ice box. Our ice tools (pick and scoop) had been left in the tray and got completely encased in ice.
• Thanksgiving: We had a small family Thanksgiving. Check out the blog post for more on that.

We don't have any trees in our yard, but still manage to get piles and piles of leaves. Green waste pickup ends the last week in November, and we still had lots of leaves (currently piled up in the garden). Gray and the older boys indulged in a steamed artichoke ... and ironically, the next day, Jen's book had a character eating a steamed artichoke (described in detail). Funny how that happens. Landon went to a shooting range with buddies and has been really busy at work. LKL had a grand opening of their new location off Mountain View.  Gray and Keaton did a work activity handing out blankets to help the homeless, and the Westras (both Shane and Alicia, and Mom and Dad) made the move to the new Highland house, and Scott and Amy completed the sale and official ownership of the Havenmoor house. 

Here's the one second every day video ...

https://youtu.be/O16x_oGkf7g

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!

September 2022

September 2022... it started with new concrete in the driveway, and ended with the demolition of the master shower. Home Improvement oh-oh-oh (think Tim the tool-man Taylor). There were some little get-aways, family fun, looking at leaves and a birthday.  The most momentous moment was Cooper getting his license!

• License to Drive: It's been a loooong road. We originally attempted getting a learner's permit before his sophomore year, but he didn't pass the test on the first try and wasn't up to a second attempt. We let it go. When it was time for Colton to get his learner's, I made an appointment for Coop too, and we did some group study. They both passed that time. Then, practice. Just the small roads, just to/from his work (very close by). He had to get his license by October 2022, or he'd need to re-take the written test. As the deadline grew closer, we pushed a little more. He had one session with a driving school, and then we arranged for a driving test with one of Cal's old coaches (who had given Cal his driving test back in the day). Coop passed! So the final step was a stop at the DLD. Now, Mom doesn't have to drive him to/from work. 
• Park City: Gray, Jen, Landon and Coop did a little Park City day, riding the lifts up looking at the leaves and enjoying the cooler temperatures the mountains provide. Jen got in some PokemonGo and left a pokemon in a "gym" there on the mountain, where it stayed for the next month and a half. Maybe I'll get a separate post up with additional photos/details of the day.
• Eating Out: We had a family dinner (Landon's birthday) at Cheesecake Factory, and a full cheesecake was Landon's birthday cake this year. There was a breakfast out at Virg's, and Olivia took Landon out for some Auntie time. 
• How Does Your Garden Grow: It's been harvest time! Tons of tomatoes, so many cucumbers, lots of zucchini. Several pumpkins, and a couple of them are really good sized! Our tomato plants got hit with tomato worms. We had a caterpillar conundrum as I brought a couple in, thinking we might watch them pupate into moths ... but they eat SO much, and there is so much poop. And then ... the lid was left a little open, and one of them disappeared. It was later found outside ... we're not exactly sure how that happened (did it escape through a door left open? did a cat carry it out?) but was glad it was found. The next hornworm went to a friend who has toads, who like to eat the worms for dinner. 
• Getaways: Gray had a weekend away in Moab with work buddies ... and this coincided with Cal and Keaton down there for their work. The guys did manage a meet up. Cal and Kate had a little overnighter camping trip with friends. Gray went to Oktoberfest with a friend.
• Homecoming: Colton and his basketball buds did a group date to the school homecoming. I did get Colton to give me a little write up. See it here (Homecoming Colton ~ Junior Year). We even let him show off by taking the Tesla.
• Looking at Leaves: Grayson LOVE Autumn! He took several rides in the mountains checking out the leaves, and then He and Jen went up Butterfield Canyon (to the West, close to home). 
• Family Fun: There have been lots of board games and card games per usual for the Blackham Bunch. Hackysack is another activity the boys enjoy. Pickleball has continued to happen each week. The Seattle Blackhams were in town, so we had a Blackham Bash, food and fun.
• Basketball and Football: Colton has been playing in a Fall league with his Wolves. Most of the games have been later Saturday nights, often a double header (8:00/9:00), and in Lehi ... so Jen hasn't been going to watch or video (but might get some footage from another mom). One game that was earlier (7:00) and closer to home (APA in Draper) had Mom and Landon cheering Colton on (they got an easy win). Colton has also been working out with Coach Scott, and we will be working with him for college recruitment possibilities,  and as the rest of the Wolves are seniors and won't be playing club ball next year, Colton signed on with Salt Lake Metro, and he'll play with them next Spring. We're all signed up with NBA League Pass to watch upcoming basketball games, but September ... was FOOTBALL. The NFL has started, and Coop is in a fantasy league again (with both Blackham Uncles). If there is football on ... Cooper is watching!
• K8's New Job: Kate was offered the Humanities and Social Sciences Career Coach position at SLCC. It comes with health benefits and a 401k and she's excited for the new challenge. 
• Lots of Landon: We've got to see more of Landon lately ... sadly, he and Sol have been struggling and to give space while they figure things out, Landon has moved back home. We've actually loved having him around again. ♥

So that's our September ... on to October!

August 2022

 

Ah, August is over, time for an update. August means the start of school ... Colton started his junior year at West Jordan High. There was quite a bit of family fun, some work travel for Gray and Keaton, birthdays and some memorable Mother Nature moments.

• Colton ... started school. He goes at 6:00 in the morning to get some shooting in, and stays after school, to get some shooting in. That's not enough, so he joined a gym (Vasa) so he could get more basketball in. He's been hitting the Friday night football games and asked a gal to Homecoming. Colton finally cleaned out his closet (not a lot of color, blues/blacks/gray), so lots of clothes gone to goodwill, although we passed on a few to Cousin Will. Colton finished up his summer work with Home Depot, filling in his final shifts and turning in his orange apron for now.
• Cooper ... turned 19! The birthday cake was a bust (Sam'sClub no longer makes the round chocolate and/or the white buttercream, which have been our goto birthday cakes for years. The cookies&icecream cake the boys like was also not found). Coop has been practicing his driving, and is back to working afternoons at the elementary school. 
• Keaton ... also had a birthday, 22 years old. I made him a lemon jello cake, which he didn't deign to eat. We hardly saw him. It's his party and he can cry if he wants to. He took a parachuting class & got some jumps in, has been studying (tradeschool) and working hard. Keaton spent a few days with his work down at Bear Lake.

There's been a lot of family fun ... weekly pickleball matches. Jen/Coop and Landon are the core team, then they bug one of the remaining family members to fill in as the fourth. We got Grayson out once, Colton out once, and Callahan a couple of times. Keaton, it's your turn!  Jen and Cooper also gave racquetball a try (Herriman Rec Center, really nice court setup) and Cooper is a natural! There have been board games, and PopDarts, video games, hackysack and KanJam. 

Gray and a few of the boys made another trip up to Pineview. Gray and Landon did some target practice at the gun range. Grayson took the RZR for some riding in Logan Canyon, and went to watch some racing at the Knolls. For work, he went to Nebraska (Buildertrend).  Both Colton and Cooper attended a few farewells, as their friends head out on missions. Colton and Callahan had a basketball game together (Cal's Men's League). They won. Aunt Olivia came out to give haircuts. 

It was HOT! August is still summer, but still, there was quite the heat wave. The garden has been growing ... lots of cucumbers this year. There was also a slight boom one morning ... which turned out to be a meteor streaking by. There were some crazy winds one day, which took out our gate.

Grayson hit his goal weight and is moving into maintenance. He has been jogging a lot, Jen and Coop stick to the treadmill. There was an old fan at the house, so Jen brought it to her Zumba church, love that little bit of air movement. A fan of fans!

The collage above shows some of the still shots from the month.

Here's a LIVE look ... one second every day style. 

https://youtu.be/Xltw0y-phXY

July 2022

 

July 2022 ... there were some smoky skies one week, and a couple big, beautiful rainbows the next.  Basketball, getaways, food and fun. Here's a run down of what the Blackham Bunch has been up to this summer: 

• Getaways: L&S started the month in Mexico. Grayson had a Bear Lake weekend with work buddies, Colton went to Las Vegas for basketball, and the whole family made it up to Pineview.
• Beach Day: We got the whole crew up for a day at the beach/Pineview, first time the waverunners have been out in a couple years (water levels and Covid complications). We forgot the paddle for the paddleboard, so Grayson rented a paddleboard. Ironically enough, Keaton then found a paddle buried in the mud in the lake ... could it be the paddle we lost a couple years ago? It looks the same! It was hot, but we had fun. Coop didn't go in the water but there was a lot of frisbee and football throwing going on.
• Lagoon with Livi: Aunt Olivia planned a day at Lagoon and got most of the nephews out (Coop and Cal didn't make it). Another hot day, but the group had fun on the rides and taking an old fashioned photo. 
• Anniversary: Gray and Jen celebrated 30 years. A big, beautiful bouquet of long stemmed roses arrived, and then there was dinner at Market Street followed by a movie (Topgun) ... Jen's first movie in theaters in over two years. 
• Basketball: Callahan is playing in a men's league over at Gene Fullmer, so Jen went to watch a couple of those games. Colton played a team from Chile with his Wolves team, then they went and spent a weekend playing in Las Vegas. He also participated in a 3x3 tournament downtown.
• Colton's First Job: Colton put in an application at Home Depot and got hired right away. He begrudgingly took a photo in his cute orange apron. He is a "lot" employee, gathering carts, helping customers load items, etc. He's enjoyed having a little money of his own.
• Food: We had a big burger night ... Gray ate his with a lovely lettuce "bun". Cal requested corn on the cob. We had Grayson's fried green beans another night, and Jen successfully made Mongolian Beef (a recipe Gray found and made that the boys really like) so that will now be in the recipe rotation. Jen is still making sourdough, 12 loaves a week. 
• Staying Active: The pickleball Jen and Cooper were attending at a local church ended, so they have tried the group at the local rec center a few times. Coop finished up the "Ring Fit" quest, but still gets plenty of steps with his treadmill time. Jen uses the home gym a lot too, treadmill, elliptical, bike ... and while weight workouts haven't been happening, she's been doing her physical therapy for her shoulder. Still Zumba-ing three times a week - Red/White &Blue for the Fourth of July holiday. Gray has been jogging too, treadmill (home and at work) and outside.
• Family History: It was "Christmas in July" on the Westra Way blog, with 10 posts, covering Christmases from 1991-2000.  Cal and Kate also enjoyed looking through Callahan's "box" where Jen has kept many mementos from the past years. 
• Room Rearrange: Working on shifting things up again, there was a lot of time spent reorganizing, taking trips to DI and the storage unit, and lots of garbage to go. 
• Medical: Jen had another trip to the dentist for a troublesome crown (the dentist said he'll just redo it next time it falls off). Still doing physical therapy for the shoulder. Keaton got in to an orthopedic specialist for his hand (carpal tunnel) and got a shot in his wrist, which has seemed to help. 
• Cal and K8's New Car: After a couple years living with one car (Cal has a van for work) Cal and Kate added a 2022 Subaru Crosstrek to their family.

So there's a peek at some July activities from the Blackham Bunch. Cooper was on dog duty as the neighbors had a weekend away, and had fun blowing bubbles with Oreo kitty. Derek ran into Cal and Kate at a Bees game and snapped a selfie with them. The Blackham Boys (sans Cal) had breakfast out at Kneaders. The dang winds/weather have kept Keaton from jumping out of planes. Colton is all registered and ready to start school again next month. August awaits ...

June 2022

 

June 2022 ... there were a lot of quick rainstorms that weren't really adding much water, but ruining a recently washed car. Very windy too. Unlike past years where the Westra Father's Day party had to be pushed into the evening to avoid the heat, here we had to shift it earlier before it cooled down too much. The gardens are growing (flowers and veggies, see the difference in a couple of plants from the beginning of month compared to the end of the month - photos in the top left corner, Hibiscus and milkweed). Here's a quick recap of the month ...

• Medical: Jen had weekly PT appointments and at home workouts for her shoulder ... only slight improvement. There was also an echocardiogram (doctor suggested after the fall) which came back without any serious issues. Keaton got in for an annual exam and will try to follow up (skin issues, carpal tunnel). Colton has been under the weather. We pulled out one of the Covid tests - but it was negative. In the extended family, Grayson's sister Ana was diagnosed with MS.
• Family Gatherings: Big group gatherings on both sides. The annual Westra Father's Day party (last one at Scott&Amy's house - on the market and sold!) and a Zundel Family Reunion - originally planned at a park in Hyland, but moved to a church per the windy weather. The 9-square was played at both parties.
• Treadmill Troubles & Other Exercise: Cooper is a regular on the treadmill down in J&G's gym, but it's had some sudden stops, flipping the circuit breaker and throwing an error code. It's made Coop wary of going fast (Jen has never had an issue on it, but she's just been walking). Looking into repair. Meanwhile Coop returned to RingFit (he'd gotten into it a couple years ago, but only for a couple of months - I little like WiiFit) which has given him a good set of new exercises. Jen and Coop played pickleball every Thursday, and Jen Zumba's Mon/Wed/Fri. Gray has been running again.
• Weight Loss: Gray started a weight loss program a while ago, and is down 50 pounds!
• Golf: After spending several years in storage, Gray got out the clubs and went golfing with some work colleagues. Ironically enough, the very next day, Colton went golfing with his friends ... so the clubs which haven't been used in forever got a workout two days in a row!
• Gray's Getaways: Gray took the RZR down to the dunes for a day, and then did an impromptu outing to Arizona for a couple of days (first time he's been able to fly without a mask since Covid). He's meant to get the wave runners up to the reservoir but hasn't made that happen yet, but did play some "lake poker" on a boat with buds. 
• Basketball: Colton had some travel too, going to St. George for a couple of days with the school team. They also their team camp  and have been having "conditioning" at the school almost every day. The team also hosted a car wash to raise funds and played several games up at the University of Utah. Colton's Wolves team played in a tournament at the Expo Center in Sandy - so Jen was there to watch as Colton got a new high score, 46 points in a single game! 
• Kitties: Snagged a couple cute shots of Oreo (he's conversing with a magpie out the window, and posing with the plants). The other picture looks a little like Joy, but it's the "wild" kitty who comes over every day to see if we've put food out for him ... which of course we have. He's super skittish and will run away if anyone gets close. We don't know if he has a home, but he's gotten quite comfortable hanging out here.

There's a new DEAD END sign at the entrance to the circle, a nice addition after living here for 25+ years. Gray and Jen had a date to Desert Star - Hunkules, and got a cute picture of Cal&Kate as they went to a wedding (and they celebrated their two year anniversary).  There was a  family dinner at Tepanyaki to celebrate Coop's recent graduation. Keaton has returned to jumping out of airplanes. Concrete poured in the back. It's watermelon season, but pineapple has been the big favorite recently. We go through two a week at least. Colton is a "Stranger Things" fan, and when Season Four dropped May 27 ... he'd watched it all before June even started. Coop was catching up, so he and Jen watched it this month... the last two episodes drop July 1 (and as this recap is going out a little late, I can say that we've all already watched the rest). 

Here's a look at the month ONE SECOND style ...