April 2016 ... lots of basketball. Lots of derbies ~ 10 of them! Jen was doing Zumba four days a week in addition to other exercise, and Callahan was working at KFC, in addition to basketball and school stuff. Keaton and Colton were busy with basketball too.
Basketball: Colton's Wolves were playing in a Saturday league, and a Tuesday league. The Tuesday league ended up only having three teams, so each week, we'd play the same two teams, over and over. Cal had his CHHS end of season banquet. It was held at Gardener Village this year (which I prefer to downtown). The team had some games in the spring season. Keaton was back to balling after getting his cast off. He got bumped to the B team, which was a disappointment. He not only didn't care if I videoed his games, he actively did not want me to.
Gray: Still struggling with sciatica and Menerie's moments. Had a few doctor's appointments this month. Still managed to hit Wendover with work friends, and he bought a smoker ... this would become a huge part of life. #graystartssmoking and would make trips out to eat (we went to Texas Roadhouse this month) not so special ...
Group Gatherings: Got together with the Blackham side a few times. The annual conference brunch, gathering at Gordy's Grave and then a HUGE party for Pammy's 70th birthday. We missed out on the baby blessing on the Westra side, which Jen felt super guilty about.
Ducks: We have eggs in the incubator (catching up to Maga's Menagerie, with her cats, new hamster and chickens) AND a pair of wild ducks that have been visiting every day. Will they nest nearby?
School Stuff: Cal and Keaton both got registered for next year. The "arena scheduling" is great because you can sign up for the classes/teachers you want, with friends. Or, you can TRY anyway. It's a crazy couple of minutes as the best classes fill up super quick. #stressful!
Passport Prep: Gray is getting passports for the boys, planning an upcoming Canadian vacation.
It was someone's 70th birthday this year, and Grayson decided to throw a party for Pammy to celebrate! All the other siblings really stepped up, and Kolby's family even flew in from Seattle for the event. There was a lot of planning (it was a surprise though) for weeks on end, and then it was the big day.
It was a really nice set-up. Grayson's derby tables come in handy for more than derbies! Courtney had pieced together two big #70 displays of photographs (and created the invitation) and I'd put together a slideshow to play in the background (posted below). There was a birthday cake and a chocolate fountain, and Jami and the girls had made sugar cookies and cupcakes. Clay made pulled pork, and there were chips and veggies too. Aunt Judy brought a nice display of Pammy products and there were tons of pictures everywhere.
It was held at the old Cottonwood 1st ward church gym. All the family was invited, all the friends we could get a hold of, and all the neighbors ... it was quite the reunion. Lots of catching up after many years.
... and plenty of new pictures taken too!
Here's the video that played at the party.
It is long ... 70 years worth of pictures!
I also took video AT the party, and combined with the pictures Courtney took, here's a video recap of the party itself. Thanks to all who helped out and who came to wish Pammy a happy birthday!
Easter fell in March this year ... it seemed awfully early! We celebrated on Saturday with the Westra side of the family, Sunday with the Blackham side ... and a little Easter prep all week long at home.
As always around Easter ... I made meringue nests.
Cooper, Callahan and I LOVE them.
The Westra gathering was quite small this year. Shane's family in California, Wendy's family in St. George, Chris and company were helping with a move ... so it was just us, Scott's family and D&D and their girls. Ani and Layla were our only "finders" for eggs this year! As usual, our family brought the eggs, but we didn't prep as many, knowing they wouldn't be needed, so it wasn't as big a job as usual.
Our Easter at home was pretty low key this year too. Admittedly, some years it's been more like Christmas. No overabundance this year. The boys got some candy and Nike socks. Keaton got a backpack (which he'd been needing for a while), a new soccer goal for Cooper, some compression shirts for Colton. Even the kitties had a bucket.
We went over to Maga's for an Easter brunch. An egg toss ensued. It was quite a bit of fun (to watch!) Instead of a traditional egg hunt for candy, Maga had prepped a pinata. Here's a little clip of Colton having a go at it.
Of course I brought at the bunny ears and we took pictures at both family gatherings. I even sent a set to Elder Blackham, but the package got help up and didn't make it to him before Easter. I sent him some favorite candies ... the "FavorReds" jelly beans, Reeses Eggs, and peanut butter M&Ms (I only found ONE package this year, so I didn't get any for myself ... I did indulge in lots of Reeses Eggs though). The Whoppers Robin Eggs are another favorite for me. I sent Landon some Cadbury mini eggs, and bought some for Callahan and Keaton. Those are ONE treat that doesn't tempt me.
For the past several months, my Cooper (12 years old) has been a step-crazy kid!
Often with weeks averaging daily steps of 30,000 or more. When it's too
cold to play outside, he started jogging on the treadmill to up his step
count. He mentioned casually to me "I set it at 6 (6mph), so that's one
mile in 10 minutes, and three miles in 30 minutes." Ummm ... I don't
think I could do that (admittedly, I'm a wimp when it comes to running)!
I haven't hit the treadmill lately, but back when I did, I was more at
the 12-minute mile range. 5mph. I'm not even sure how long I could keep
that up at this point, three miles would be pushing it!
I mentioned the statement to Hubs, and he looked up a local 5k this past
weekend. We wondered if running in a race might appeal (this is my
anxiety child, who has dropped out of team sports because they are too
stressful and competitive.) Cooper seemed willing to give it a try, and Keaton said he would too (even with a cast on his arm/broken
wrist). If Colton had wanted to run too, I would have done it
myself (I even updated and charged my ipod shuffle just in case), but the little guy wanted to save his energy for his basketball
game later in the day. So off Daddy and the two boys went. Maga met
them at the race!
Ready to Race!
Daddy's original plan had been to start closer to the back of the pack,
so the boys could pass some people and get that rush. The boys however
didn't like the "back" idea and wound their way to the front. They were
off and Hubs couldn't quite catch up! We were both a little afraid the
boys might push too hard, and then need to stop, but they ran the whole
thing. Cooper came in just under 24 minutes (2nd in his age group, 19th
overall) with Keaton right behind him.
I think it was an excellent experience for both boys. They had been with us years ago when we did our Family 5k,
but CooperMan was in a stroller then, and Keaton had been on a scooter. This was
the first time running a 5k for both of them. I don't think it will be
their last though ...
Update ...
Our stake has an annual 5k in May. After the success of the first race, I thought this would be an easy one ... and maybe I'd even participate this time. I was planning on it, and so was Cooper and Keaton. The morning of the race, it was POURING rain. Cooper and I opted out, but Keaton was still game. He did get soaking wet, and slipped a time or two.
They got these nice t-shirts!
Not bad for a free race (we did donate a couple cans of food).
It was many years ago, when Grayson looked at his oldest son competing in a Pinewood Derby race, that he decided it would be worth it to invest in a track and timer, to make sure all the Blackham Boys would have a great Pinewood Derby experience. Through the years, he's run so many races! All the races for his own boys. And this past Tuesday, March 15, 2016 ... was the final Pinewood Derby for a Blackham boy. Colton, now 10, will age out of cub scouts later this year. This, was the last derby. Of course, with track/timer/tables/trailer ... Gray will continue to run them for our ward and others, but he won't have HIS son as one of the racers.
Due to dwindling numbers in the scouting program, three wards (the Jordan Oaks 1st, 2nd and 7th) came together in a single night. There were 23 racers. In the weeks prior to the race, as in years before, Grayson opened up our garage, his tools, and his knowledge, for a derby workshop. Helping parents and boys complete their cars, passing on tricks and tips to make them faster.
Colton, having taken first place last year, said he didn't care about making a fast car ... just a cool car. He had basketball games on the same Saturday as the derby workout (and Gray would have been too busy then to help anyway) so they worked on the car in the week afterward, barely finishing it up in time. For decor, a neighbor helped create custom cutouts (Gray thought they were totally awesome and is wondering about adding a Silhouette vinyl cutter to his gadget list). There was already a #23 ... thus the extra little (1) there at the front (Colton's car was #123 on the official roster).
Colton and his car.
Grayson and Keaton went over early to set up ... it was drizzling rain.
It's been nice to have the covered trailer!
Colton came in 6th, and he was just fine with that.
February 22 ... I got a call around 2:00 from the middle school saying Keaton had fallen
hard in gym, and that his wrist was most likely broken. A badly bruised
knee as well. I went right in, and they had his arm splinted and he was
in a wheelchair because he couldn't walk with his knee.
We drove
straight to the Urgent Care. I was again able to find a wheelchair to
get him into the office. But it felt anything but urgent there (GrangerMedicalWJ) ... it
took forever for them to even check us in. There was only the one receptionist handling the urgent
care, plus the pediatrician's officeand an ear/nose&throat
doctor. I'm never going there again.
Once we finally got back, the nurse
and doctor were very nice. We got x-rays on both the wrist and knee.
Wrist is broken, but the knee is just badly bruised. They splinted the
arm, and after 3.5 hours we finally made it back home. I'd had to reach
out on Facebook to neighbors to find someone to pick up my littles from
the elementary school. I had to make another run out to pick up a
painkiller prescription so that #3 could get some sleep. What a
day.
This was just the initial exam, and the wrist would need a cast once the swelling had gone down. They recommended the Dr. in that office ... but I took Keaton to the Riverton Granger Medical, where Colton had his wrist treated. We got the cast on, and it was just a few weeks before it was off and the boy was back to basketball.
Keaton and his West Hills Middle team had been playing in the district finals ... Keaton had to miss the last games, and then the State season, where he'd been invited to play on the elite team. He was SO bummed to miss out on that! We perhaps pushed it a little on his return to the court, playing in a Spring league, but he was back and all went well.
March 2015 miscellaneous memories ... took the kids in for haircuts and Gray said "bye bye" to the beard. Colton had a couple birthday parties, but I wrote one down wrong, so he missed one (it had been on Friday, not Saturday). Instead of the monthly "Westra Waffles" we had "Scones at Scott's". We changed the clocks for Daylight Savings, and there was a big voting day. Some TV trouble ... but it will now turn on. Gray got me some cordless headphones after the cord caught as I listened to audiobooks while working around the house. Lots of derbies, but that wasn't the only racing going on, as Coop (and Keaton, and Gray and Maga) did a 5k!
Doctors and Dentists: Keaton was in a cast for most of March. A couple doctor visits, and I went ahead and scheduled him for some visits to the dentist (pulling him from school/gym). Jen had a final doctor visit, and Gray did not go to the doctor, but had a bad Meniere's attack and has been struggling with sciatica.
Basketball: CHHS Varsity played in the state tournament, and Cal sat the bench with the other JV cheering them on. They made it to semi-finals, but lost to Bingham. Colton's Grizzlies were playing in a Junior Jazz tournament and had several games, then won the whole thing! Keaton's crew had a team dinner, presenting awards. Keaton also went to watch a Jazz game with friends.
Derby: Gray hosted his derby workshop, helped Colton finish up his car, did our derby (that was the last one with a Blackham Boy in it!) and had three other derbies this month.
School: Elementary was out a few Fridays, and then all the kids were out for Spring Break. Parent/Teacher Conferences for the littles (rave reviews) and Grandparent's Lunch. Sophomore orientation at CHHS ... because whew! Keaton's permit got approved. Gray also took Keaton in to get his learner's permit.
Dinner and a Movie: Gray and I had three dinners out, Tepanyaki with the family, Braza Grill with my folks and Scott&Amy, and then Archibalds (just us). At home we watched The Imitation Game, Mission Impossible/Rogue Nation and The Intern.
Easter: Small Westra gathering on Saturday (Grayson jogged halfway there), and a Blackham Bash (literally, with pinata) on Sunday.
February - a short month, but we packed a lot into it.
Basketball ... as always. I helped out with a team dinner (meatball subs, which became a favorite in the Blackham household dinner menu) and manned the snack bar. The parent gets in free on snack bar day ... otherwise, you have to pay for a ticket just like everyone else. I love that the boys are supposed to dress up (shirt and tie) on game days. Cal and his friends would have themes (different colors and such, thus the purple shirt). He had a game at my ol' alma mater Cottonwood, and played against some of the boys from his old Utes team. Keaton had several games too, the regular district play and an AAU tournament (Soccer City is SO chaotic!) Took team pictures. Coop finished up his Junior Jazz season, and got to go to a Jazz game with Dad. We went to see the Harlem Globetrotters as a family. Colton finished up his Wolves and Grizzlies seasons.
School ... Cooper's class had been putting on "A Midsummers Night's Dream" with his 6th grade class. I don't love Shakespeare, but Coop did great memorizing all his lines, and everyone's lines! I could see him mouthing them and prompting while it went. The boys had to wear "tights" and he and his basketball buddies decided they liked leggings! We ended up getting a bunch, and then the boys can wear shorts, even in winter. Coop also got an award at school.
Keaton ... got a new Apple watch. And a broken arm :( He was also a little under the weather this month with a fever (pre-broken arm).
Callahan ... had a birthday! 17 years old. His friends came and kidnapped him in the morning. I told him to get off work so we could have a nice birthday dinner and threatened to come to KFC if he didn't. He ended up working the morning but was home in the evening.
Grayson ... has started working on his eating and exercise. He started working out and doing some food prep.
Derbies ... just two, and Coop had to help because the other boys were busy.
Westra Side ... we had the monthly Westras&Waffles (on Valentine's Day).
New Year ... we had the grandparents over for games on New Year's Eve. The littles didn't make it to midnight (Coop woke up though). NewYear'sDay we had pastry wreath.
Basketball ... was in full swing. Cal playing on the JV team. He served at a fundraiser, and I was on snack bar and lunch duty this month. Keaton in the prep league. Cooper and Colton in Junior Jazz. Check out the calendar (below) for all the games going on. We dropped NBA TV and went with League Pass to catch the NBA games.
Derby Season ... starting up. Gray had five this month. The new black tables look nice.
Work ... one of the main guys at Symphony (Rick) quit, which left a bit of a void making Hubs work schedule even busier! He got a bit more money to compensate. He had a work trip to Vegas for the Builder's Convention (and they saw the BlueMan Group while there. Gray got pulled up on stage and dressed up in a pink bow).
Teeth ... ortho appointment for Keaton. Dental appointment for the two littles. No cavities, yea!
School ...Cooper had a science fair project this month.
Fitbits ... fun to see how everyone compares, even Landon on his mission reporting in! Coop has held the #1 spot fairly often.
Cars ... Jen ran out of gas in the Durango. SO close to the gas station too.
Kitties ... are now banished from the gym after an Oreo accident IN the elliptical. He had been hiding in the back (as he would often do) but Jen didn't notice before starting up. Oreo is okay, but it scared everyone!
Gadgets and Games ... new digital lock for the front door, which is WONDERFUL! The boys decided they must have a new PS4 and the StarWars Battlefront game. They pooled their money and paid for it.
Westra Side ... had a Red Robin dinner with the folks and Shane and Alicia, before they head out to California to live. Kaden came home from his mission, and Corin headed out.
Blackham side ... Maga and Olivia came to one of Jen's Zumba classes. Jami was in town, and the family came to see one of Cal's games, and then have a b-day celebration for Clayton.
A couple of years ago, Hubs bought me a box of salted caramels. I fell in love. With Hubs again, of course (every day) but also with the salted caramels. That twang of salt contrasted with the sweet of the chocolate and caramel. Delicious!
These coveted confections are only available during the Christmas season, which is unfortunate, because after that first taste (given as a Christmas gift) ... they were gone. GONE. I had to wait until December rolled around again.I discovered some at Sam's Club and picked myself up a box. Hubs found a package at Costco and purchased them for me to try.
I encouraged him to buy more of the Costco brand ... they were the least expensive.
Oh, I indulged!
I tried to limit myself to 2-3 per day.
I set one package aside and gave it to myself for Mother's Day.
This year, we were shopping together at Costco when ... there they were. Sea Salt Caramels. I bought one package (silly me, ONE?) Afterward I told Hubs he should go back and buy five more (each of the boys could give me one for Christmas) ... or even TWELVE more, and I could have one per month! The expiration usually does extend until the following season.
Grayson decided on diversity for Christmas. I got one of the Costco brand, one of the Williams Sonoma brand (this had been the original one I received years ago), and another from Trader Joes. How would they compare? Here are my reflections ... now that they are all gone (sob).
Sanders (Costco): These are the least expensive option (which is actually appealing to me). The packaging is not nearly as pretty as when they are boxed, but they still tasted good. They were a bit thinner than any of the other brands. Milk chocolate coating only.
Maxfield (SamsClub): I can't remember how many caramels were in a box ... 24? It was one pound, and I'm thinking it cost around $10 (don't quote me!) These were packaged prettily, with Christmas decor. There were both dark chocolate and milk chocolate covered caramels in each box. I'm not a fan of dark chocolate myself, but I enjoyed both, not really even being able to tell much of a difference. These were thicker than the Costco caramels, although a maybe slightly smaller square. The caramel was a bit more solid than the Costco brand.
Willams Sonoma: These were fairly similar to the Sams brand, although I didn't try the two back to back. The caramel was quite solid. Milk chocolate covering. The salt crystals were smaller, more fine than the other crystals. The cost? $30 for 16 candies! That's almost $2 a piece. I almost can't even enjoy them at that price ... almost.
Trader Joes: This brand was a new to me this year. They were quite unique too. Still salted caramels to be sure, but they definitely were different. The caramel inside was completely soft, it would ooze out when biting. The chocolate here was more of a hard shell. I almost felt like it had been formed first, and the caramel inserted inside (whereas the others seemed more like a solid caramel dipped in chocolate for the coating). The chocolate covering was dark chocolate, and again, while I'm not a fan of dark chocolate, I was a fan of these. The salt. Wow. Huge crystals (check out the picture up top!) Really too big and overpowering ... but, I have to say I liked it. It was like a little chocolate drizzle had been added to the top, and that was what the salt adhered to. Often, when taking a bite, the hardened drizzle and salt would pop off and I'd have to pick it up and manually stick it back into the caramel for my next bite. A girl has gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right? I'm not sure what the cost per box/chocolate was here ... and maybe it's better I don't know, as I do think I'd like to be spoiled with these ones again.
Farewell my sweet chocolate covered salted caramels ... until next year.
