Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 Recap

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

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

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

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

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas Past



Christmas 2006 was the year we got the Wii ... in 2007 the main memory was of the instacare visits (strep throat and Callahan's athlete's foot) ... Christmas 2008 we got the Xbox ...

Christmas 2009 ...
It was a good Christmas. Keaton was the one who wanted to get the decorations up and deliver neighbor gifts. If he hadn't been around asking continually I don't know if any of it would have gotten done :)

As usual, we celebrated Christmas Eve at my parents house ... we did the annual slideshow, the nativity, the candy bar game and exchanged gifts. The boys got the game "Sorry" from their cousins and Nerf guns from grandma and grandpa. Christmas morning at home. Landon got a new Ipod Nano ... Callahan got Landon's old Nano and Keaton got Callahan's old Nano ... something "new" for all ... Callahan got a cell phone, Keaton got a leather jacket. The big gifts to the Blackham Boys as a group was a Nintendo DSI and a combo game table (fuseball, airhockey, pool, etc.) ... lucky Grayson got to spend Christmas Day putting it together. The little boys got Pokemon and Toy Story stuff. We headed out to Maga's for a few more presents and to play games. And there it is, another Christmas in the books ...

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween


So ... I'm really not a big fan of Halloween, but I did get into it a little this year. I helped out at the school with the Kindergarten party for Cooper's class. Although Coop had a cute Mario costume, he elected to be a ninja. Colton came along too. 

The boys dressed up on Friday for the "trunk or treat" over at the church (I missed getting a picture of Landon dressed up as a disco dude) and then again on Saturday for the traditional house to house visits. Cooper wore a different costume each time!

Look at all that candy!

Friday, September 25, 2009

Kindergarten Cooper


https://youtu.be/LjUDO_G8uFs

Doesn't he look cute? After two years in Ms. Cindi's preschool, Cooper "graduated". Now technically, Cooper could have qualified to go to kindergarten last year, just barely squeaking in before the deadline. But ... he wasn't potty trained and was the ultimate mommy's boy, so I kept him with me one more year. I was a little worried he might not be ready for kindergarten even as he was turning six years old (he cried all through registration). But when the day came... off he went. I loved capturing this photo as he came out.

Cooper's really doing great in school. His teacher says he's a wonderful boy and an example to others. There are still days when he cries and he doesn't want to go to school ... and truthfully, I'd actually LOVE to have him home with me. Little brother Colton is just lost without him and can't wait until it's time to pick him up each day. Go kindergarten Cooper !

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Fun with Flubber


Flubber ... I can't remember where we got the idea or the recipe, but it was a something that we created and played with a lot over the years. We'd add food coloring to create different shades (and then mix them together) and even added glitter to some batches. The boys would love to blow big bubbles by putting a straw under a flubber patty on the counter. It was ooshy, gooshy, smooshy fun.




The recipe we used ... 
  1. Combine 1/2 cup warm water with 2/3 cup white glue. Mix together until combined. Add food coloring if desired. 
  2. In a separate bowl, put 1/3 cup warm water and 1 tsp Borax powder. Stir until the powder dissolves into the water. 
  3. Add the Borax mix to the glue mix and stir. It will immediately start to solidify, keep stirring until all the liquid is gone (if it doesn't seem to all combine, you can pour off excess liquid). 
Flubber will keep for a week or so. We stored it in Ziploc bags. Eventually it starts to breakdown, and then we'd toss it, and make it fresh the next time the kids wanted to play with Flubber.

In the photos above - our neighbor Jacob joined in the fun. I'm not sure where Landon was ....


Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Summer Recap

We had a busy and fun summer ... we jump started it by running a family 5K ...
and a hike to Secret Lake
J&G did LOTS of hikes, just the two of them

We got in one rainy camping trip to Pineview
Keaton got a fly IN his ear

... a trip to Lagoon ...
We bring the trailer and camp overnight.

We went rafting down the Provo River with friends

and of course ... summer means SCOUT camp ...

and swimming

and water wars in the front yard with friends

Jumping Jacks, NickleMania and miniature golf
were just a few of the fun things we did during the days.

Lots of bowling
(thanks Allstar Lanes for the Summer Safe Pass)

and summer means LOTS of lessons ...
Landon took several sessions of golf

there was the annual swimming lessons

tennis lessons

Cooper did basketball camp
and Keaton did a soccer clinic

We went to a couple cool car shows

and to finish off the summer with a big bang, we had a TRIPLE birthday party (Landon, Keaton and Cooper) ... three cakes! It was a movie theme, with bingo and other games to earn "tickets" that could be redeemed for concessions (popcorn, drinks and candy) as we showed a "movie" in the backyard. It was a lot of fun. Now ... back to school and schedules. Bye Summer!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

20 Year Reunion & 25 Things


Gray and I went to the same high school, just one year apart. We didn't know each other in high school, and I think we were complete opposites then. He was on the football team, I never went to a game. I was the lead in the school musical, he didn't go to those. So anyone who knew the both of us, to hear we got married ... it's probably a bit of a surprise.

It did make the reunions a little easier ... I knew a bunch of people in the class of 88, and he knew a bunch of people in the class of 89. It was fun to see people again.



Not really reunion related ... but this "challenge" has been going around Facebook to list 25 things people may not know about you. So here is my list:

  1. I wear a pedometer and record my steps every single day.
  2. I always watch DVDs with the subtitles on ... no subtitles? Huge pet peeve of mine!
  3. I like shopping thrift stores and sales, and go on Ebay buying binges.
  4. I’ve been parasailing, swimming with dolphins, snorkeling and gone for a ride in a hot air balloon.
  5. I am a total homebody.
  6. I was the lead in my high school musical.
  7. I have been changing diapers for 13 years with no break.
  8. I prefer Word Perfect to Microsoft Word.
  9. I have a scar on my chin from falling on the edge of our family fireplace when I was two years old. It isn’t very noticeable, but when it was showcased how Harrison Ford’s character got a scar on his chin (the 3rd Indiana Jones film) everyone suddenly noticed mine too.
  10. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from BYU.
  11. I have seven different Ipods ... all in almost daily use.
  12. I didn’t get my ears pierced until I was out of high school.
  13. I like to use ellipses ...
  14. I’m afraid of dogs.
  15. I ate a peanut butter and honey sandwich every single day for lunch until Jr. High ... and I’ve never had once since. Same story with Cheetos (well, I didn’t have them every day, but I loved them. Then I bought a big bag with my own money, ate half, and have never had another).
  16. I’ve got an entire room full of unused scrapbooking supplies.
  17. I think the test for gestational diabetes (having to drink that horrid drink) is the worst part of a pregnancy.
  18. I subscribe to ALL the fitness magazines (Shape, Self, Women’s Health, Fitness, Health, Prevention). Used to be the scrapbooking magazines ...
  19. I can’t get over how cute my hubby is! He says I’m a bit biased, but ... he’s SO cute!
  20. I’m an avid journal keeper.
  21. I’m not sure I could give up the convenience of Caller ID, Tivo or Blockbuster Online.
  22. I am nervous behind the wheel of a car ... I hate driving on freeways or places I haven’t been to before. My parents had to FORCE me to get my driver’s licence.
  23. I had a cancer scare when I was a junior in high school. For about 36 hours, I thought I was going to die. (Misdiagnosis of a lumpy lymphnode ... turned out to be nothing).
  24. I love to eat kids cereal for breakfast ... or dinner ... (mmmm .... Cocoa Puffs, Apple Jacks, Capn. Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, Cookie Crisp).
  25. I’ll never say never again.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to me ... 
17 roses for 17 years.

In our bedroom, we have this quote
"The Art of Marriage"
not only is this a great quote,
but the original (which is what we have on our wall)
was written in calligraphy by Gray's dad.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Kicking It with the Kindergarten Crew

There are two main recreational soccer leagues here in West Jordan. One signs the kids up in the spring, for the following fall/spring season (I can never plan that far in advance), the other has registration shortly before each season starts. Several of the kids in the neighborhood had signed up with the former league, and had already played fall together when spring rolled around. A couple of the kids had dropped off the team however, and as a spot opened up, I was able to add Cooper to the team. All the kids were already in kindergarten (Coop was still in preschool) but they were friends from the neighborhood and church. Cooper LOVED playing soccer and it really helped with his independence and socialization skills too.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Doing the Derby

We had two boys in the derby this year. It was Keaton's first year, and Callahan's last year. Neither placed in the top four, but I think they still had fun.


Saturday, January 24, 2009

Interesting Injuries

As I just started the blog in 2010, I'll be backdating some "reference" posts ... one thing the kids always try to remember and compare are their "owies" ... and to date we've had a few, so here is a quick review, and if you're squeamish, you might NOT want to see some of these pictures! 

LANDON: When Landon was little (around five) he cut off the tip of his finger with my sharp scrapbooking scissors. It wasn't enough to do anything about it, we just had to wrap it and hope it healed (it did). For several weeks he had a "mummy finger" ... which was ok because it was around Halloween. Landon also had bad teeth, needing fillings at just two years old, and then having to have his front teeth pulled when he was pre-school age. But as for fun photos ...


We'd gone to JumpingJacks (big inflatables) and hadn't even been there for five minutes before Landon came yelling that he'd broken his arm ... yep, it was pretty obvious! We had to go up to Primary Children's, where he was sedated and they set it under the x-ray. He'd broken his arm once before (up by the shoulder several years earlier) ... both times it was his left arm. BUT ... he's left handed.

CALLAHAN broke his wrist one summer. It was pretty mild, more of a crack. After playing basketball year round, I took him to the Instacare for some knee pain and he was diagnosed with a fractured kneecap. The followup to the orthopedic amended that injury to "jumper's knee" which just needed some rest. He has had a couple notable owies though ... 

 

(Athlete's Foot) He'd been suffering from Athlete's Foot for a while. We tried all the creams and powders to no avail. Then one day it morphed into THIS ... I ran him to the Instacare, and he was in so much pain as they tried to clean it. The doctor even started to cry. We had to go back daily for about a week, they almost hospitalized him. We followed up with a pediatric dermatologist at PRMC and it finally cleared up!

(BIG Bruise) He was trying to flip a wheelie on his bike (on the grass) ... the bike flipped and smashed into his leg. It bruised immediately. It continued to change colors over the following days. Very impressive bruise!

KEATON was the first Blackham Boy to break a bone. At just two years old he slipped off a kitchen stool and broke his arm. He was also the first to need stitches, cutting his head right above his eyebrow. Keaton could be a bit of a hypochondriac, which is why it was ironic that the next situation happened to him ... not really an "ouch" but it certainly fits the description of "interesting" ... almost required a visit to the ER ...

We were camping up at Pineview, gathered around our campfire when Keaton suddenly cried out and pulled at his ear. He said there was something in there ... a bug, he could feel it moving, hear it buzzing. I looked and could not see anything. He continued to complain and I took a flashlight and looked again and ... thought perhaps I saw what could be a bug deep in the ear canal. Gray tried having Keaton place his ear upward, then poured water into his ear, hoping to "encourage" the bug to come out on its own. It did ... it was horrible though, like a scene from "Alien" with a couple of legs, then the body emerging. It was a fly, but it wasn't a small one.  YUCK!


COOPER got a broken leg when he was just 17 months old. He was waiting at the bottom of the stairs when Landon came sledding down, slamming into him. Gray and I were out of the country (a trip to Mexico) and it was hard to receive that news when we were so far away. But it wasn't really too bad of a break. The main issue was, that Cooper was a belated walker, and he has JUST started trying to walk, and this pushed him back a couple more months. This break wouldn't be his last ... but the others happened while I was blogging, so they have their own posts. Broken Arm #1. Broken Arm #2

COLTON was the first Blackham Boy to have to go to the Emergency Room. With all the other kids injuries to date, we had been able to get by at the Instacare.  It was flu season when Colton was born, and pretty much the whole family got it ... and baby Colton, only seven days old, spiked a fever. We had to take him to PCMC where he had to spend several days (although thankfully he never got as sick as the rest of us).  Unfortunately that wasn't his last visit ... 



(Allergic Reaction) We'd had some allergy issues with Keaton and Landon ... and also with Colton. While at a family party, Colton ingested something that started to trigger at allergic reaction (peanut butter we think). His face and lips were visibly swollen and we were quite concerned about what we couldn't see (if his throat was closing up). PCMC was close by and we rushed there, they gave him epinephrine and then we had to stay overnight for observation. The picture above actually isn't from THAT episode, but another one (that didn't require an ER trip). Poor baby! 

GRAYSON has had a couple notable owies too ... Shortly before Colton was born, Gray had been at a work outing, walking along when he heard a pop and a pressure in his ankle ... he could barely walk. He had ruptured his Achilles Tendon. 


He opted for surgery ... luckily he's had a full recovery. 

Another "owie" occurred when Gray was going snowmobiling with work. I wasn't crazy about him going, as I've been aware of a couple horror stories (my brother Scott had a couple accidents, as did a college friend) ... so when I got a call just shortly after they had left, I had a mini-heart attack.  Grayson hadn't even made it onto the snowmobile, but had slipped on the ice while getting out of his truck ... hadn't even made it out of the parking lot.
This is the picture he emailed me while waiting at the ER ...

Like Keaton's injury needing stitches, the gash was just over his eyebrow, so neither Blackham Boy really shows any scars from their stitches.

You notice I'm not on this list of interesting injuries ...
maybe I'm doing something right?




Thursday, January 1, 2009

Let's Get Cooking *Ü*

Keeping a collection of Blackham family favorites ...


Desserts
Breads

Dinner Meals


Muvees ...

A little Muvee magic ... our home videos/photos set to music ...

Check out my YouTube Channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/ScrapJenB

For all the Basketball Muvees, go to

Hoop Dreams

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