Star Students!

 Okay, everyone at the school got to be "Star Student" at some point in scchool, but the kids always thought it was great fun when it was their turn to be in the spotlight. For some of the boys, it was up to me to make the poster myself. I'd pull out the scrapbook supplies and photos, print out items the boys were interested in for illustrations...

...other years, we filled in a pre-made poster.  The same, but different!

It is fun looking back and seeing what the kids wrote, in their own handwriting. I'd saved these posters over the years, usually just hanging them in a corner of the closet. The boys would always laugh as they looked back on them. As we did a basement remodel, I ended up pulling everything down for new paint, so I took pictures and figured I make a post showcase all our stars! And I still stashed the posters away, in case the kids want to look at the originals. As I was checking on some dates, I realized I did a post years ago featuring some of these posters (2nd Grade Spotlight) ... I am now missing Coop's premade one he filled in. Good thing I already had a picture of it!

Blackham - Family History

I've been doing quite a bit of work on the Westra side as far as family history ... organizing photos, writing up blog posts featuring the histories and memories of the Westra and Norman clans. Time to turn to some Blackham history. On both sides (Blackham and Zundel) there are a couple of aunts who are very into genealogy and I was able to find some treasures. This post will feature the Blackham side, Grayson's grandfather Wayne Nielson Blackham, who passed away just a few months before Gray was born. 

A huge thanks to Caroleen May, who researched and wrote up several histories. They are all on FamilySearch, but to make them even easier to find and read, I've included links to GoogleDrive copies for Dick and those around him who impacted his life (below). I've also included an abridged history and photo collage here, but be sure to check out the unabridged originals! 

• Wayne "Dick" Nielson Blackham (Gordy's Father) 1919-1969
• Donna Mae Shumway (Gordy's Mother) 1921-2010
• Carrol Hazen Peck May Blackham (Dick's Wife/Gordy's Stepmother) 1916-2003
• Helena Deseret Nielson Blackham (Dick's Mother) 1887-1958
• Samuel Arthur Blackham (Dick's Father) 1886-1955
• Hulda Deseret Allred  (Dick's Grandmother) 1866-1958

Known as Dick throughout his life,Wayne Neilson Blackham was born August 2, 1919.  He had two older brothers (Dallen and Creal) and the family lived with his grandparents on his mother's side for a time. Dick's grandmother Hulda was a nurse and midwife and may have assisted in his birth. Samuel and Helena (Lena) divorced when Dick was about 10 years old.  His father remarried and that union added a sister when Dick was seventeen years old. Dick had stayed with his mother however, and Helena remarried a few years later also. Dick, not liking the new living situation, went back to Moab to live with his Grandma Hulda when he was fourteen or fifteen years old. He remained living with her until he married Donna May Shumway in 1941. They had two boys, Gordon and Gary. Dick worked as a truck driver. One day, Donna took off with two-year old Gary, leaving Dick and six-year-old Gordon. Hulda took the two back into her home to help raise Gordon, known as "Punk". Dick met Carrol May, a single mother with three boys: Ted, 15; Stan, 13; and Phil, 9. Dick’s son Punk and Carrol’s youngest son Phil became very good friends. Dick and Carrol decided to get married and move to Salt Lake City, but let Gordon stay with Hulda to finish out the school year (she was very attached to him, and wanted to make sure he got baptized). 

Dick and Carrol were married February 6, 1950, a double wedding with Carrol's younger brother. Carrol's parents had a small apartment to the side of their home, and this is where Dick and Carrol started their married life. Dick continued to drive trucks. He would be gone for a few days, then off for a couple days. Sometimes he was called back to work after being home just a few hours. He had two pins (representing five years of driving without an accident) which he wore on a black hat. At one time, he entered the semi-driving skill contest at the fairgrounds.  Dick would pick up fireworks from out of state while traveling in the semi, and would put on a big display on the 4th of July. Later on, Dick changed jobs, from driving a semi to working with the city's maintenance department. This was a day job, and he could be home every evening and spend more time with the family.

Dick and Carrol had three children: Rebecca, born September 8, 1952; Vanessa Carrol, born September 1, 1953; and Dick Wayne, born January 3, 1956. They were called Becki, Nessa and Dickie making this a large family of seven children. After having all boys between them they were delighted with the girls.

The family enjoyed picnics, campouts, fishing and hunting. Dick would do the cooking, cutting up potatoes to fry in a Dutch oven. He made the best potatoes. He said he learned to cook at the sheep camps as he was growing up. He always carried his pocket knife and used it for everything. Dick took his guitar and enjoyed playing it in the evenings. He enjoyed raising rabbits and chickens. 

(see more pictures HERE)

Dick's son Gordon left for his mission to the East Central States on Mar 9, 1963. He returned home in March 1966 and attended BYU, where he played center for the football team. He met Pamela Zundel and they were married on January 28, 1967 in the Los Angeles Temple. They had two receptions, one that evening in California and the other on Saturday evening, February 4th at the Pioneer Stake Center in Salt Lake. They were expecting their first child November 1969.

In January 1964, Dick (age 44) had driven his brother home after a visit and was hit by a drunk driver on his way back home. The car was hit with such force that Dick went flying through the passenger side window and landed in a snowbank. He'd only been wearing slippers, no coat, and he related later that the cold as he waited for the ambulance was worse than the pain from his injuries. He was taken to LDS Hospital in critical condition, not knowing if he would survive the night. He never fully recovered and struggled with any type of physical work. He tried driving a cement truck for a while, but ended up on disability and welfare. February 1967, Dick was taken to the hospital where he was tested and evaluated. It seemed they just could not find out much about his condition. May 29, 1968, Dick was taken to the Valley West Hospital (now known as Pioneer Valley Hospital) with a heart attack. June 14th he was discharged from the hospital just to return on June 24, 1968. He stayed a couple of weeks being discharged on July 7, 1968. The doctor determined that Dick had originally damaged his heart in the auto accident. He was in and out of the hospital four or five times over the next few months. On January 17, 1969, Dick was back in the hospital for tests. He finally went home on January 25th without having the test as the machine had broken down.

After going through so much, in August the doctor decided that Dick would have open heart surgery to correct his problem. He entered the University Hospital on August 5th or 6th. A lot of family members went up to visit him the night before the surgery. He was in a cheerful mood. He related that he was told to take a shower and not to come out until he had used up the entire bar of soap. He indicated that this was quite a chore for him and it took a long time. The surgery was performed on the morning of August 12, 1969. There was a chance that he would not make it through the surgery, but he did. After the surgery the doctors told Carrol that all went well, that he should be fine. When he came to he saw Carrol sitting by his side. His first words were “Well, I made it.” He was in the intensive care unit being watched over along with another patient. The nurse said she had her back turned to Dick helping the other patient and did not see Dick get out of the bed, but she said she heard him hit the floor. His heart had stopped and by the time they revived him, tests indicated that he was brain dead and he was removed from life support on August 17, 1969. His funeral was held at Redwood Memorial Estates in West Jordan where he was buried on August 20th 1969. 

Dick’s son Gary who was living in Oregon at the time was on vacation. He made a wrong turn and ended up headed for Salt Lake. He thought he would keep going and looked up his family members, but Dick had already passed away. Gary missed the funeral by a couple of days. Gordon had already left to go back home to California.  Dick and Gordon and Gary hadn't seen each other since Gary was two years old. Gary did eventually make contact with his brother Gordon in California and his siblings in Salt Lake. After Dick’s first wife Donna remarried, Gary was later adopted by this husband.

Gordon performed the endowment ordinance for his father Dick on December 19, 1973 in the Oakland Temple. On October 15, 2004, Nessa’s children Eric Montague and Angie Chapman; Dick and Karen and their daughters Lindi Prestwich and Brooke Stocking; Pam Blackham (Gordon’s wife) and her sons Grayson and Clayton; Ted and Caroleen May and their children Shauna and her husband Marion Markle, Ted May lll and his wife Tanya performed the sealing of marriages and children to parents to eternally join the Blackham-May families. This was a joyful occasion.

July 2020

July 2020 ... with the fourth of July, and the 24th, but all big firework shows canceled due to Covid, there were a LOT of personal fireworks this year. Not us of course, but around both holidays the skies lit up, and the local stands reported phenomenal sales. What else was going on in July?

• New Stuff ... as Cal and Kate got married and moved into their own house, they needed a washer/dryer. Jen had the idea that they could take our old ones, and the Blackham house could get new ones. It took a little longer (Covid caused some delays in getting the new ones) but it was out with the old white ones, and new gray ones are now installed. The old fridge in the basement (the old kitchen fridge moved downstairs when we got a new one upstairs) had really been struggling ... so we replaced it. Then while we were replacing old things with new ones, Gray traded in the Sequoia for a new truck! We also were putting in new walls (water damage discovered as Callahan moved out) and prepping for new paint and carpet in the basement.
• Lake Time ... finally got the family (sans Jen/Coop) to the lake. Then Gray went three more times with work buddies.
• Family Fun ... Gray made a couple wonderful dinners of steak and chicken, and then we did burgers for the 4th (veggie burgers for the three vegetarians).  We took a trip up to Highland to see the Symphony Parade home before it opened officially and had a few game nights (Pirate, Exploding Kittens, Poetry for Neanderthals, Progressive Rummy and Racko). 
• Basketball ... Colton has stayed super busy. Clinic at the high school every Mon/Wed. Practices Tuesday evenings. Games on Saturdays. A big tournament ... Colton had 11 games (playing freshman, sophomore and some varsity) in just two days, and then it was shut down due to Covid concerns. Hit a little close to home too, with a Wolves team member testing positive, as well as a Jags basketball buddie's mother testing positive. The Wolves still went to Idaho for a tournament there.
• Out and About ... Covid not withstanding, Jen was still doing Zumba three times a week. Gray got out with work buddies a few times (dinners, comedy show). Gray and Jen hit Tepanyaki for an anniversary dinner and joined Scott's family at Hale Theater for Mary Poppins. Cal and Kate went to see a sunflower ranch ... fields of flowers! Keaton and Colton got supercuts with Aunt Olivia.
• Home Garden ... a few sunflowers at home. The hyacynth finally bloomed. The garden is growing, with tomatoes and bush beans producing a lot. Zuchinni and pumpkins struggling a bit this year. Gray has enjoyed fresh caprese (basil from the garden too) and Landon made tempura green beans.
• Other Stuff ... Coop got another dog-watching job (this dog was also named Remi!) and our Remi dog next door had puppies! Hamilton hit Disney+, so we resubscribed and watched it. There was a bomb scare nearby in SouthJordan with evacuations (didn't come this far or impact us personally) and then a plane crash in the neighborhood just to the South.  There was a big surge in Covid numbers, then mask mandates (required everywhere in public places) and lots of stress about what to do with school starting soon (not as much for our family, as Coop is doing his online again. Colton agreed to do two classes online, but that's more for basketball reasons than Covid concerns.

There were weekly reports on the Westra Write On blog that have a few more details of the day to day. 

Here's the video highlights from the month!

June 2020

June will be remembered most for Cal&Kate's wedding ... and the uncertainty of how things would go with all the Covid-craziness. But we got to see almost everyone, and it was over two-weeks ago, and I haven't heard of anyone getting sick, so that's good! Now just wait another week after the big Westra Father's Day gathering and the smaller Blackham bunch and ... well, as it's been back to being rather busy, it would be a little hard to determine where/when Covid was caught if someone ended up getting sick.

• Grayson had a couple little getaways this month ... fishing the Provo River one day, and then a couple days down in Moab for river running and Razor riding. Work has NOT seemed to be slowed, in fact sales are higher than ever and he's not exactly sure how/when he's supposed to get everything done.
• Landon and Sol have continued to work as well. They got their front lawn in, and invested in a lawn mower and the other tools that go with having a yard. 
• Cal ... got married! And bought a house! A big month for him and Kate! They are enjoying married life and getting settled. 
• Keaton finished up working at Nike and is back at Camsen Electric full time. He took a weekend trip to SUU to see a friend there.
• Coop has enjoyed summer - not having school. Sleeping in! The weekend everyone was away (Gray/Keaton and Colton) the neighbor's were also going out of town and hired him to take care of their dog. So he'd go over multiple times a day to give her potty and play breaks. We even brought her back to our house to hang out ... Joy did NOT like that (good thing there was glass between them). Coop tried to get back to some walking on the treadmill and has been struggling with bad blisters!
• Colton is back to basketball ... the high school has a clinic that is every Mon/Wed from 1:00-2:30. Actually, that's for the 10th-12th grades, but the coach specifically told Colton to come to it rather than the earlier/easier 6th-9th session (Colton will be 9th next year) and he even played a couple games with the varsity boys in a weekend tournament. Colton played with his Wolves in a tournament in Idaho and has had some Saturday games ... but as all the games are further away, AND spectators are limited, Jen has been sitting them out - so no video highlights. 

I've been blogging (I try to do one post for the Westra Way blog and one for our family blog each day ... I had gotten very behind,  there's lots of material). I had sent in some VHS tapes to be converted to digital and got those back ... fun to see my old high school musicals and even older family videos.  Still doing Zumba three days a week, and I generally get in a treadmill walk too. Haven't been on the elliptical as much lately.  I've been listening to several audiobooks each month, but I was caught off guard when my Kindle copy got zapped back to the library. Usually I have no trouble getting through a book in the three-week check-out time (luckily no one else had holds on the book so I was able to check it out again). Some people say they will "stay up all night" reading, but I get too tired for that!

Other stuff going on ...

• Garden ... is growing, although our tomatoes and peas aren't as impressive as Scott's! It's nice not having ducks dig up everything (and eat seedlings, and step on them). We've missed the fresh eggs and fun ... but not the stress of worrying about them. We still see some ducks at the canal.
• Gray's Trailer (flatbed, for the RZR)... was stolen. Should have had a lock on it, but it had been blocked in by Cal's car most of the time, until Cal moved ...
• Water Damage ... we knew there was some water damage in Cal's bedroom, but as he moved out, it became more apparent. Gray ended up tearing down half a wall and finding the problem, a leak in the pipe coming from the kitchen sink up above. So we'll need to get someone in to drywall and paint, and then Keaton plans on moving down to that bedroom.

Here's the "One Second Everyday" video ...

Colton ~ 8th Grade

The 2019-2020 school year will be remembered for its unconventional end ... Covid-19 hit and the schools shut down physically, with the kids finishing up online at home.  The year had started off in some upheaval too ...

The year before, school boundaries had been redrawn. All school permits were revoked and students had to apply again if they were going to a school outside of their boundary.  That was us. Starting back with Landon, who had to permit to finish his 9th grade year at Elkridge after a boundary change in 2009. Elkridge HAD been the neighborhood school, but our area got switched to the Joel P boundary. After that first permit, we ended up permits for all the kids (Landon permitted to Herriman High, Cal&Keaton went on permit to West Hills and the Copper Hills, I switched Cooper and Colton from Columbia to Terra Linda, and from there to Elkridge ... Cooper got into Bingham High on permit). ANYWAY ... after playing the permit game, and discussing it with Colton, we decided to not even try for a permit to Elkridge again, but to just go to the boundary school. At this point, we were planning on West Jordan for his high school (after huge outcry, they ended up not changing the boundary much at CHHS and it is so overcrowded, I really had no hope of permitting Colton in) so it just made sense to make friends he'd stay with. He was reuniting with friends from Terra Linda, and even Columbia too. We were comfortable with our decision.

Then school registration rolled around ... and he was enrolled at Elkridge! Colton is an easy-going guy, so we figured it would be less work for everyone if we just went with it. I took him to the school and we found his locker and tried out the combination. We mapped out all his classes and did a walk-through, even though he was already familiar with the school from his 7th grade year. 

A few days before school started I got a call ... now that the error was known, he did need to make the switch to Joel P.  This had been our plan from the start, but after acclimating to the Elkridge idea, it was just a really frustrating situation. Joel P was great, and quickly got him registered and in classes. We got a map and made the rounds so he'd know where to go on his first day. It all turned out okay, but it was a stressful start to the school year.

I asked Colton to write up his memories ...

My eighth grade year started off quite confusing as I first thought that I would be going to Joel P. Jensen. I was on a permit for Elk Ridge during my seventh grade year because my brother was already going there. I had already decided that I wanted to go to JPJMS for my next year of middle school so I wouldn’t have to be on a permit and also because the friends I make there will be going to the same high school as me later on. However, about a week until the school year started, there had been a mixup and I was still registered at Elk Ridge. I had received my schedule there and we had gone to check out where my classes were. Although I was looking forward to going to JPJMS, I was fine with having to be at Elk Ridge for another year since I already had lots of friends there and knew my way around. With less than a week to go before the school year started, I had gotten notified that Elk Ridge had made a mistake and already revoked my permit earlier in the school year, meaning I would have to go to JPJMS instead. This really upset me since I had already thought that I would be going there before and my plans had already gotten changed.

 Like the start of the year, the end of the year was also crazy. COVID-19 had swept over the globe and schools started to shut down, including Joel P. Jensen. Most teachers set up their classes on Canvas where students can do their work and turn it in. Students were able to do any class on their schedule at any time. This worked out really well for me because I didn’t have any time wasted unlike actually being at the school. Depending on the work assigned in the class, I could finish up the class in five to ten minutes, sometimes in only two or three if the work was easy enough. On the other hand, if I got the same work that I could do in two minutes online in actual school, the class period would still last 45 minutes. On one particular day, I remember starting school a couple of minutes before 8:00 in the morning and I finished at 8:05, it was the end of the week and I had already done the work for Friday in most of my classes, there were only two classes that I still had work to do, and I was able to easily complete them in under 10 minutes. That was what the start and end of my eighth grade year was like.

I had hoped he'd write a little more about the details throughout the year as well ... but apparently this writing assignment in summer stressed him out! I had to ask him for it many times! Here's a look at his last report card, which also captures classes/teachers which may be interesting to him in the future. 

He was able to be with his basketball buddies Gage and Collin in Math (he's a year younger, but in the advanced math, which he brought up a time or two until it became a running joke in the family).  His Spanish teacher Mrs. Spravzoff had also taught Landon (at Elkridge).  He never seemed to have much homework, and never asked for any assistance with projects. The grading system seemed odd this year, straight A or B, no A- or B+ ...

In addition to having an "active" class (team sports/fitness) both semesters, he also stayed after for intramurals several times a week.  Although I think we had some neighborhood kids going to the school too, it was just easier for me to drive him to/from school than to attempt a carpool.  7800 S would be really backed up during the morning commute, so I'd go around the back way and drive down a side street, dropping him off and having him then walk to the crosswalk and to the school. After school I had him walk down the street to a nearby church building and I'd pick him up there, avoiding much of the traffic (I'd pick him up at the school after intramurals). 

Joel P started/ended earlier than Elkridge ... 7:25-2:25, so he had to get up a little earlier this year.

When Coronavirus concerns hit ... it was a Wednesday (March 11) when the NBA shut down (a Utah player testing positive) when it became "real".  School went on Thursday and Friday (the 13th)... and after school was out that day, it was announced that there would be a move to online learning for a few weeks. The teachers had a couple to scramble and try to alter lesson plans. I think because Cooper was already online, that the transition was slightly easier for us. I already had a good look at online learning and how it worked. Some parents complained on Facebook about how much work their kids had, but Colton never seemed to have much. He'd sleep in a little, get started by 8:00 or so, and was often done by 10:00.  I do recall one "oh no" moment, as he'd made a presentation in Google Slides and was just doing the finishing touches, he and I were chatting (my workspace was in the same room as his desk) when suddenly, the words he'd written started deleting. It was like someone was hitting the delete button (we do think maybe it got pressed and stuck?) and we both watched as his entire presentation disappeared. We switched out the keyboard.

I wasn't at all surprised when it was officially announced that the kids would not be returning to school this school year.  At one point, he and went by the school so he could go in and get his gym clothes and lock from the locker room. He didn't have anything in his school locker (these silly boys never used their lockers, just carried everything around with them all day).  It wasn't as impactful for us as for the poor seniors, and those playing spring sports. Tournaments, trips, prom, graduation ... all canceled. There were lots of "drive-by" things, graduation parade, etc.  We still haven't received his yearbook, but it should be coming.

The end of eighth grade ... 

May 2020

May - here's the highlights!

• A Getaway for Gray: Grayson went with a work buddy to St. George at the beginning of the month. Razor riding.
• Bridals: Cal and Kate went to St. George and got their bridals taken, and they turned out great. Kate had asked me to make some masks (provided me with the sunflower fabric) and I did, and they used them in a few of the photos. 
• Work: Gray said all this hasn't seemed to impact Symphony's business, and he's stayed super busy. He worked from home a couple of Fridays just to break things up. Landon received a promotion at LKL and is now working more with roofing than other materials. Keaton had been working with Cal at Camsen Electric, but had to take a couple days off because of his chest pain, and then Nike opened back up and scheduled him there. He tried working both jobs, but that is a loooong day. Unfortunately Nike isn't able to offer much flexibility either, and if he has to make a choice, he's decided to stick with the electrical for now (better pay, more/consistent hours, and of course, working with Cal!). He will really miss his Nike discount though ... and he's done a BIT of shopping while he still has it. He's given his two weeks, but has been working Nike, not Camsen here at the end of the month.
• Car Registered: Having some time during the day, Keaton FINALLY was able to finalize the registration of his car. The purchase was at the end of January! The title seemed to get lost and had to be reissued. Then of course there were the 8-hour waits at the DMV. They have opened up the lobby now, with appointments available, so he was able to get in and out and is finally legal and the whole car ordeal (starting Thanksgiving 2019, when his truck was hit) is over.
• Home Sweet Home: With Cal and Kate getting married here shortly, they need a place to live. They have been planning and saving and it made sense for them to look at buying rather than renting. They looked at a lot and made an offer and should close just days before the wedding. It's in Kearns, newly remodeled and should be nice for them. At the Blackham house, new shower heads were installed, and Cal broke a big hole in his wall (he just leaned, there is water damage, so it was weak).   Keaton cleaned up the house as he was hosting a party. 
• Dental & Doctor visits: Cal had a checkup on his foot ... while he feels fine, the xrays just don't show much healing progress. Another month in the boot and then they'll just assume it is scar tissue or something showing up on the x-ray, but that he SHOULD be good. Keaton had a scare during basketball with some chest pain (right side). He was barely able to move. He went to the Urgent Care to get it checked out. EKG and xray ... no broken rib, angina or blot clot. He was given some muscle relaxants and was told to take it easy. It took several days and then he felt almost back to normal. Played basketball again at the end of the month. He had an appointment made months ago at the dentist and went in for that. I'd had some bad tooth pain back in March, right when everything closed down. I probably could have/should have called for an emergency visit - I waited too long and had to have several visits with that troublesome tooth. Colton finally got in for a visit to the orthodontist and Gray had a telemed visit to get his blood pressure medication refilled.
• Maga Memories: Between Pammy's birthday, Mother's day and Memorial day, there were more than a few memories of Maga. There was a Blackham Zoom call, and each family had their own "Pammy food" (Dr. Pepper, Habit ... I made her cauliflower soup and Wacky cake). We went to the cemetery on Mother's day and drove past the old house. The Blackhams got together for Memorial Day for some family time and food.
• Haircut: FINALLY ... Coop consented to having his hair cut! I think the last trim had been back in October, and it was long. He said it was actually a little uncomfortable to sleep with it all (although I have more than him and I sleep fine). Salons were just barely starting to open, and I'd gathered a bunch of style options to let him leave a little length on top ... but then he just had Keaton buzz him.  When Landon needed a haircut ... he went to Aunt Olivia. He also shaved his beard (but not his mustache, mommy is not a fan). 
• Zumba: I'm back to three days a week consistently. One of the other buildings has given us the okay to go back in, so we do that on Mondays. Then I teach Tues/Fri in our church parking lot. Outdoors has been nice when the mornings were cool and there was a breeze. It's getting HOT though ...
• Been Blogging: Mom/Margie, Chris and Wendy have been working organizing and labeling photos and when memories would come up it was wondered how best to combine the words with the photos. Blogging came to mind for me - and I started a Westra blog for Mom for Mother's Day. Also one to keep track of current sibling updates and have also become reinvested in our own family blog. Attempt to leave a legacy ~ and the timing was good with life a little less busy with all the Covid shutdowns.
• Car Show: We "went" to a car show, but instead of walking around looking at all the parked cars, we parked along a specified route, and the cars drove past us, parade style (or Covid-19 style). The parade actually started (and ended ) right at the entrance to our neighborhood at the WJ Public Works building. 
• Games: Landon and Sol have been coming over to play games a lot. We bought a few new ones to try ... Exploding Unicorns, You've Got Crabs and Throw, Throw Burrito.  The kids taped out a square on the driveway for some 4-square one night, and went to the park to throw a football and frisbee. 
• Back to Basketball: Colton's Wolves team has started up practices and had a game and some scrimmages. They have more coming up. Basketball is back, but everything is rather far (downtownish or up in Lehi) so I haven't been to anything and don't really plan to. Colton just catches a ride with teammates. 
• School: Wrapping up the year. Colton was done around May 22 ... Cooper's classes were scheduled to the very end. He has one more test to take, then he's done. We'll return his laptop we rented - he wants us to buy him one for next year. Nothing to return for Colton, but he and I stopped by the school so he could run in and grab his stinky gym clothes left in his locker. 

Mother's Day and Memories

The second Sunday in May ... Mother's day. 

It was a "memory" filled Mother's Day this year. 

Had the traditional breakfast and the bouquet. 

I never really know what to get my mom for Mother's Day. This year though ... she's been trying to get me involved in a big photo project, organizing and labeling pictures from all throughout the years. I'd just never really gotten on board. A couple of times when there were difficulties figuring out how to keep certain written memories with pictures, my mind would think "this would work well in a blog".  So that's what I did. I made a blog. 

It's a little like scrapbooking. Coming up with a cute title, making themed pages (like "Do You Want To Build a Snowman" showcasing snowmen built over decades, or featuring the autobiography of Grandma with a collage of photos or showcasing the California Vacation of 1980.  I got several topics up, and all the annual Christmas Letters (from 1997 - present).  I knew Mom, Chris and Wendy had been discussing ways to keep track of current correspondence too. The weekly/monthly letters we siblings send out. That didn't quite fit my thought for The Westra Way blog, which I wanted to be more classic stuff. So ... I made a second blog (Write On) for that and grabbed the last month or two of emails to include there.  That was my gift, and a gift that will keep on giving as I keep it up (I know, I'm behind on my own blog, but ...) So I sent my mom the link that morning.

After breakfast, we went out to the cemetery. 

First Mother's Day without mom for Gray. 

It was just three little boys, as the bigs were off doing their own thing.

I was trying to recreate some grass pictures taken in 2011.

We'd had a family Zoom meeting the week before for Pammy's birthday.

We then stopped by to see my folks ... with the whole Covid-19 thing still going on, we just visited out on the porch for a bit. I forgot to grab a photo. We also drove by Pam's old house (where Gray grew up, where we lived in the basement apartment when we were first married, that the kids knew as Maga's first house) and then by my old house on Hermitage. A memory-filled morning.

My brother Chris had asked us all to write up memories of Mom.

I turned it into a blog post too ...

Memories of Margie (May2020)

Landon and Sol came over for games and dinner.

Gray made a yummy dinner with tri-tip, mashed potatoes and asparagus ...

When I was growing up, there was a large orchard by the house. We kids would go wander, and asparagus grew wild there. It was tricky to find, amidst the trees and weeds, but I was a really good asparagus finder. I didn't want to eat it though, and my mom couldn't make me ... because then I just "wouldn't find" anymore. It wasn't until this last year that I tried Grayson's sauteed style. One of the very few foods I've learned to like in my old age. 

April 2020

Back in March there was some talk of "everyone just stay at home for these two weeks" ... I knew there was no way it would be just two weeks. No way it would be contained that quickly. Things stayed shut down for all of April. The schools made it official, kids would not be returning this academic year but would finish up online. Masks are now recommended. While cloth masks aren't nearly as effective, they are about the only thing available. I pulled out my sewing machine and made some. Stores have limited hours, and limit the number of people allowed to enter, and even initiated "one-way" lanes down the aisles. Toilet paper is slowly starting to appear on some shelves again. Limits are in place for many products. There is some fear of meat shortages in the future. 

On the home front ... things continue somewhat the same. There has been some inconsistency in school assignments. Some parents have complained that their kids have SO much work. Not so for Colton. He's usually done by 10:00 each morning. Cooper's classes continue on as normal. We had some chemistry experiments this month. Keaton is finishing up his SLCC classes. All the boys are still able to work. Gray goes into the office (most everyone else is still working from home). Landon is at LKL and stops by most days for lunch. Keaton is still working with Cal at Camson Electric. 

• EASTER: The holiday was pretty low key, I really didn't have many treats and the Easter bunny was quarantined so ... the boys don't complain and even put on ears for a photo. 
• HAIRCUTS: Keaton decided to cut his own hair ... he ended up just buzzing it. Then he did the same to Colton. Lots of game play still going on. 
• GAMES: Keaton got interested in chess again... even watching a couple movies on the subject (Searching For Bobby Fischer, Queen of Katwe). The boys ended up breaking our little basketball hoop ... it's taken a beating. It's been replaced, a new one is up and ready to play.  
• ZUMBA: After little to no dancing for a month, I asked a couple of my ladies if they would want to try a little backyard Zumba, and we did!
• FLOWERS & GARDEN: We've got some spring flowers coming up. The lilacs are blooming! I braved a trip to Lowes and picked up some plants and got a few things in the garden. 
• FLYOVER: A formation of four jets flew over the state as a salute to healthcare workers. It got quite a bit of buzz on Facebook. I made Colton and Cooper come out to the front yard for a "field-trip" to watch it. 

Here's the One Second Every Day ...

Easter 2020 - Covid Quarantine

Easter was on April 12 this year. I'd like to say it was low-key because of the coronavirus ... but while things were sparse, it was only a little less than the last few years, when I didn't have the "I couldn't go to the store" excuses. And we COULD go to stores, it was just discouraged (stay home/stay safe).  To make it look like there was a little more, I incorporated an old Westra tradition. Boxes of favorite cereal (I added some cereal boxes a couple years ago too). When I was growing up, sugar cereals were a treat, not something we had access to all the time. Today? I just stormed the food storage. But it is a good way to capture what the kid's favorites are. 

Cinnamon Toast Crunch for Colton. The other kids like it too.  Hershey's Fillows for Cooper (not really even eaten as cereal. No milk, just eaten as a snack).  Fruit Loops for Keaton. I'd just stocked up because he said he LOVED Loops ... but that was before he tried some Fruity Pebbles, and he now he actually prefers the Pebbles. Malt-o-Meal Dinobites are an acceptable alternative too (not always the case, the kids are "name brand" snobs).  Honey Nut Cheerios - Cal eats this pretty much every morning. Landon likes them too. 

Peanut-butter M&Ms are for the older boys (and ME), along with Reeses Eggs. The littles don't like peanut butter. We love the FavorREDS jellybeans ... and I still pick out the reddest reds to eat first. In addition to cereal, I added another pantry staple - chips. Doritos, Cheetos and Lays. Not very "Easter" but a treat the boys like. And unique to this year, I added some sanitizing wipes.  For Landon and Sol's basket, they got some treats, some wipes and toilet paper, which has been missing from store shelves of late.

I was happy the boys were willing to put on the fluffy ears and pose for a picture. Landon and Sol came over later and there was some game play into the evening hours. The big Easter gathering on the Westra side has petered out as there just aren't that many little kids around. I didn't even get out the plastic eggs. No visits with Westras or Blackhams this year (stay home/stay safe). 

There were some "nests" made this year, but only one batch. 

I didn't get around to sugar cookies or the chocolate chip with M&Ms. 

March 2020

Wow ... what to say about this last month. I mean, remember last month, in February, when the schools had to close down for ONE day and it was kind of a big deal ... will the kids have to make up the day over a holiday, or a weekend, or at the end of the year? That one day now doesn't mean much, as schools have been dismissed, and kids are now learning online at home. Sports are canceled. Going to the store is a completely different deal. Many individuals are no longer employed ... and all because of a little virus we can't even see.

I think we'd all heard a bit about it ... a "novel Coronavirus" in China taking a toll. There had been movies about pandemics, diseases and outbreaks that result in an "end of the world" scenario. We aren't quite there ... the world isn't ending, but it sure is changing!

The first part of the month was fairly normal. Hubs and the big boys working full time. Keaton juggling work, school and social stuff. I'd hit my Zumba each day and help Coop with school. Colton had school and sports. He'd wrapped up his 8th grade Jaguars team and his 9th grade Wolves had gotten back together for practices and had several tournaments planned.  Grayson had a trip to California for a weekend and had several Razor riding outings on the calendar. 

Sunday, March 8th started Daylight Savings ... and I think we handled the Spring Forward fine. It was Friday the 13th that week, and a full moon. While there had been rumblings of Covid-19 hitting closer to home, things had still been going fairly normally ... I think a turning point was Wednesday, March 11. I remember Callahan was on the couch waiting for the NBA/Jazz game to start ... and it didn't. It was then announced that Jazz center Rudy Golbert had tested positive. That game was canceled. Then ALL NBA games were suspended. Then March Madness was canceled. By Friday (end of day), schools were on a "soft-closure" for at least two weeks. Online learning (we were already pretty pro at that with Cooper's transition earlier in the year, but the teachers and other students had a big learning curve). 

By Thursday, there had been a run on all the stores. Toilet paper and other paper products were gone. Bottled water was scarce. Gloves, masks, sanitizer, medication ... empty shelves. It was(is) pretty crazy! Government offices were announcing limits on the number of people allowed to gather together. No more than 100.  Then no more than 50. This continued to go down ... to 10 people, staying 6-feet apart. My Zumba made it through Thursday that week ... then MZL and many others canceled. My smaller classes (under 10 people) continued a bit longer, until the LDS church closed the church buildings ... and then the temples. Recreation centers and libraries closed ... it took a bit for bars, sit-down dining, gyms, salons to close their doors (with a little nudging from government officials). 

That Friday/Saturday, March 13/14 it was the wedding dinner/ceremony/reception for my nephew Jase. They squeaked in right under the wire. They had more weddings at the temple than had been originally planned, as couples pushed up their dates (and the temples did close in the next few days). Jase and Ellen still went on their honeymoon, then had some panic about getting back into the country as airlines and borders were being shut down. 

• Grayson's company prepared to move their workforce to working from home. They bought several laptops for employees and made sure they were ready for the move ... Grayson has still been going in to the empty office to work himself. 
• Landon's work (construction materials) is still going on without too much change. Sol is working in healthcare, but hopefully won't be on the front lines as much with her job in the orthopedic sector.
• Callahan's electrician's job is still moving forward ... there are generally just a few guys spread out throughout a house. 
• Keaton's life shifted some! Nike, where he works, shut its doors, but still said they would pay their employees their base pay. Keaton, having his SLCC classes moved online AND having Spring Break was facing a week with NOTHING to do, so he went back to work with Callahan. He had put in a few months, also as an apprentice electrician, before shifting gears. He was happy that they were able to take him back, full-time, at such short notice. 
• Cooper ... his life isn't all that different. Back in February, as I took him to a doctor's appointment, I realized that was the first time he'd left the house in two weeks. Now, that was the recommended norm for everyone! He was already in online school, so his day-to-day has continued on. I think he enjoys having his brothers around more. There has been lots of game play going on, which he enjoys. 
• Colton is adapting a lot better than I would have anticipated, as he is very social, loves hanging out with friends and playing basketball. As all the tournaments got canceled, he was sad, but holding it together. He's adapted well to online learning, and is often "done" by around noon ...
• My life, like Cooper, isn't all that different. I miss going out to my Zumba classes, but other than those, I was a bit of a homebody too.  As the housekeepers are now working from home ;) I've had to pick up the slack and actually clean my own house!  

As limitations have come down further - with recommendations to ONLY group with immediate family members ... Landon and Sol have still been coming over. Landon generally comes over for lunch each day, and L&S are great game players, which is appreciated when there isn't a lot else to do! Callahan still had his follow-up appointment for his foot. He's so tired of the boot, but the foot is so slow at healing. The crack is still visible there on the x-rays. Oh, and he was in a car accident too! It was when he was in the work van, and it's still driveable, so not quite as impactful as Keaton's accident last Fall, but still, just one more thing this month! Keaton has had a hard time with the social-distancing. He was still playing basketball with buddies a bit beyond what was recommended, and he's had a few friends over (one at a time ... one resulting in an eye injury and ER visit, which stressed everyone out!) Again ... Colton is a champ and not complaining at all.

... and then, there was the EARTHQUAKE!
This post is long enough, so I stuck that in its own post. 

So ... yea, that was March 2020. 

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