Birthday Bash

Birthday Bash in the Blackham Backyard

It was my nephew Aiden's 1st birthday. There was a big slide, water squirters, and of course, a water fight. I think I was probably the only person to stay dry ... but I had the camera!

Colton and the Car Door

When Colton was little, he surprised me by opening the car door all by himself. Such a BIG boy!

Easter 2008

Easter was early in 2008. March 23. We'd barely got back home after a family trip to St. George. We'd gone out Thursday, March 20th, and Grayson ran the Pinewood Derby for Jensen's ward (Wendy was pack leader, Josh took first place). We stayed for a couple of days, and even participated in the annual Ivins Easter Egg hunt. It was packed with people, different fields set up for the different age groups. They started by giving all the kids a couple eggs (in case they weren’t able to grab any in the chaos) and then the rest were just laying on the grass to be picked up. Cooper was intimidated by the whole thing and didn’t even hit the field. Colton and I went out and picked up a couple eggs and called it good.

We headed back home Saturday. Got the kids settled downstairs (because they often sleep on the couch, but we need it empty for the Easter bunny!) and to bed. MY bed. Yeah. A peek at the baskets above (even Mom and Dad got baskets this year) and more Easter activities below. Dying hard boiled eggs, decorating cookies, nests, playing with toys the bunny brought. 

 Happy Easter!

Pool Time for the Littles

I got this little inflatable pool for the little. And it was LITTLE. But enough that Colton could "go boom" and splash. Cooper seemed more entertained by the hose. Dad got his feet wet too. 

Camp & Beach ~ Pineview Family

We had a 4th of July getaway planned - had reserved a spot up at Anderson Cove at Pineview Reservoir. Tuesday, July 3, Grayson went into work and I got my workout in then took the younger kids to the store to pick up stuff for the camping trip. Did the packing... Keaton kept asking when we were leaving every 15 minutes. Gray got home a little after 5:00 and we got off shortly afterward. The boys were a little antsy during the drive, asking when we were going to get there. We made it there and got set up. Colton was quite a handful, running in and out of the camper, climbing up on the little concrete barrier, running into the road (Gray had to make a mad dash for him as a car was coming up). We roasted hot dogs and then marshmallows. Callahan almost had a meltdown about having to poop in the outhouse. Keaton was cute after his visit there, saying “there was NO flusher in there”. Cooper just sat and played his gameboy. Colton tried to throw his blanket into the fire twice (I caught it the first time, got it out fast the second, successful time). When the coals were glowing we roasted marshmallows. As night rolled around we played Uno and ate mini-chocolate donuts. Cooper wanted to go home and Colton was uneasy but we finally got everyone down and to sleep. Colton slept with Gray and I and the other boys slept on the other side. I don’t know if Colton is always so restless, but he really kept me awake all night.

In the morning, Maga and Olivia showed up and we headed down to the beach. Cooper was NOT happy about being close to the water but settled down in the shade of the canopy and played gameboy the whole time. The bigger boys played in the sand and in the water. Colton didn’t seem to like the water but after I got in, he came in and had some laughing, splashing fun. Cooper complained almost the entire time, and Callahan didn’t last all that long either (he had his cast on, and it was technically waterproof, but ... also had to make sure SAND didn't get in it. He got it removed the next day). We stayed a few hours then packed up. I had put sunscreen on the kids so no one got burned (Gray got so much sun last year it made him sick). 

Video quality isn't great - but still fun to look back on "live" ...

We had pretty much packed up everything before heading to the beach, so other than packing everything back up to the car from the beach, the cleanup wasn’t bad. We hit the road home around 2:00.  Got home, unpacked, got showered and such. I was wiped out, as was Gray. The kids played around and wanted to do fireworks. Gray picked up some KFC and we ate dinner then let the kids light fireworks. I had bought a $10 pack with some additional of their favorites (smoke bombs, snakes, sparklers) and that was enough to make the kids happy.

A Tent for Two

I always joked that a 10-man tent was really good for about a family of four or five. I like room to spread out, not walking all over each other. I don't even know if this smaller tent is considered a "two-man" tent or if it's supposed to sleep more. This camping trip it was just the two of us. It's the only time we ever did a camping get-away just us.  It's amazing the difference when you aren't chasing littles around. A different experience for sure! 

The beach without littles was more relaxing too. 

Birthday Dinner and Limo Service

 

While we didn't get the whole Westra clan/Blackham Bunch together for Jen's 36th birthday, Mom/Dad and the younger brothers, and C&C made it for dinner ... and a ride there in a limo! Grayson arranged it all as a surprise. Here's Jen's journal entry from the day:

November 10 (Friday) Happy birthday to me. Gray sent an e-card a two separate flower arrangements. VT dropped off a gift, RS dropped off a card, Mom called. Then a third arrangement was delivered (3x12=36). The babysitter showed up at 6:00 as scheduled ... but no Grayson. Not a huge surprise, I knew he was planning something and it was taking longer then anticipated. Olivia had let the cat out of the bag a little, calling to wish me a happy birthday saying sorry she couldn’t come tonight (letting me know that it was a group gathering). Gray finally showed up around 7:00, with a huge limousine. Inside were Clay and Courtney, my parents, Shane, Alicia and baby Rella, and Derek and Danielle. We drove to Ruby River for dinner, then dropped everyone off. Gray wasn’t overly impressed with the limo service, the ride was a bit jerky (Gray started to get a little carsick), one of the TVs didn’t work, it had a “Vegas” smell, and the driver didn’t know much about the controls (to heat or cool things down). Gray also gave me a new video-recorder as a gift.

 

Memorial Day/Grandpa Gordy

 Every year we go to Grandpa Gordy's Grave ... on the anniversary of the day he passed away, or Memorial Day, or both. During our last visit, as we took the obligatory family photo, I remembered these pictures from years back ... so time for a back post. It's fun to compare the pictures and see just how much everyone changes through the years.

 Cute little Addy

 Ana and Courtney and the babies ...

 Blackham Boys Blue

... and of course, the group shot

March 2006

Moments in March 2006

• BABY BLESSING: We blessed Colton and had everyone over to the house after. The 9:00 church hour may have deterred some, which is fine, as our house isn't that great for entertaining.
• DERBY DAYS: Gray has been setting up the new track in the basement to try out, and he hosted a work derby for Hamlet Homes. He helped the boys make cars for that, and as Landon had a science fair project due, we experimented with where to place the weight (in the back is best). 
• WORK SHIFTS: Grayson interviewed and accepted an offer with Symphony Homes and will be changing jobs. He and a friend also built a house in Bountiful that they are selling on the side.  We went up with the Blackham clan to check it out, and Callahan fell into a puddle and got all wet. Luckily I had a "bedtime backpack" in the car with underwear and pajamas for him to change into. 
• MORE DENTAL DAYS: Landon had to have an extraction, Callahan some work on space maintainers, I had to have some cavities filled. Lots of trips to the dentist again. Dang teeth!
• BETTER BABYSITTING: There were quite a few babysitters, but Cooper is doing better. He started to cry once as one came over but she was prepared and pulled a little toy out of her bag and Cooper turned and said "Bye-bye mom" ...
• IDENT-A-KID CARDS: Took the kids to the school for pictures and the little "Ident-a-kid" cards (just in case, updated pictures/fingerprints, description). The kids like them, think they are like a driver's license. 
• SEEING SPOTS: I have some little circle stickers that I use to mark the date on the bottles of breastmilk I’ve pumped, and one morning I came out to find Cooper playing with them. He had put them all over his face and hands.
• FAMILY FUN: Out to the folks a few times, lunch with Mom. We had the two Jensen boys over for a sleepover while Rick was in town for meetings. A big Blackham Bash with all things Italian (lasagna, spaghetti, fettuccini, pizza). 
• INTO THE MOUTH: Cooper has never been one to put everything in his mouth, but then one day I caught him eating the fishfood, and then later putting a little marble in his mouth. Why is it that kids will put yucky things in their mouth...but not their dinner?
• TOILET TROUBLE: We’ve had a little problem with the potty backing up and clogging occasionally, and while it has never actually overflowed, and I don’t get mad at the kids when it happens, it has totally freaked Keaton out. Every time he goes to flush he says “I wonder if it will clog, I hope it doesn’t clog”. Many times he just leaves it without flushing, which is rather unpleasant for the rest of the family.
• SLIVERS: Keaton got a sliver in his hand and we tried to get it out. I got about half out, but the rest was just embedded too deep. It wasn’t hurting him, so we just let it be, and a few days later we tried again and got it out without any trouble. That same day Callahan showed me a “line” on his thumb...it was a sliver going over halfway down under the nail. OUCH! He said it didn’t hurt and he couldn’t even remember when it happened. Then it apparently fell out before I had a chance to try and get it out. Weird, isn’t putting something under the fingernails a torture device? Callahan wasn’t even fazed.
• KITTY-KITTY: A little black kitty was around outside. The boys loved playing with it and brought it in the house for a while, made a little house for it outside. Maybe someday ...
• TV TROUBLE: Our fairly new TV has gone bad, lines all through it. We do have a warranty, so looking into repair/replacement.
• BATTLESTAR: With Grayson’s new Ipod Video he can download television programs ($1.99 each) and he’s become hooked on “Battlestar Galactica” from the Sci-Fi cable channel. He showed me one, and then we got the miniseries from Blockbuster. He then bought the Season One set. I thought this was going to be something we could watch together, but apparently he can’t wait and keeps watching without me!
• RASH REMEDY: Colton had such a bad diaper rash I took him into the doctor. Got a prescription which cleared it up pretty quick.
• BAND-AIDS & BOOBOOS: Cooper got a little ouchie on his head, I don’t even remember how it happened. It really wasn’t bad, just a small circle in the middle of his forehead. But...he just wouldn’t leave it alone. He would pick at it and rub it, getting blood all over and I was afraid it was never going to heal. I finally covered it up with a bandage, but of course he pulled it off. I tried a few more times, and finally used a “Toy Story” band-aid which Cooper left on for several days. It wasn’t quite there, so when it came off, I replaced it with a “Pooh” one. Everyone would say “what happened” as the band-aid was so very visible. Cooper picked right up on this question, and when I had a bandage on my thumb he looked at me so concerned and asked “wha happnen? Ouchie hurt?”

Check out the Email Updates on the WriteOn blog for family recaps sent at the time, or Jen'sJournal for details on the day to day. 

Wiggle Uncle Kolby

 

Back in 2005, Grayson ruptured his Achilles tendon. He had surgery and needed to rest for several weeks. He would sit and watch "The Wiggles" with little Cooper for company. He probably wouldn't have given the silly show much notice otherwise, but unable to get up and move around, he looked a little closer and thought that one of the dancers in the background looked like Uncle Kolby. 

It was the lifeguard character. Red shorts, yellow "lifeguard" tank top, zinc oxide across the nose and a swim cap on the head. It became a bit of a family joke, and the kids would point out "Uncle Kolby" during "The Wiggle Groove" and a couple other numbers.  It probably is NOT Kolby's twin, but just the build of the body, the quick glimpses and just imagining Kolby dressed and dancing like that was enough to make everyone laugh a lot!

When Kolby's family and the rest of the Blackham's were over (it may have been for Callahan's birthday, or Colton's baby blessing) we showed the Wiggles video to the family to see if they thought there was a resemblance too. Much laughter ensued ...

Here's our home movies ...https://youtu.be/sBvxsFc50as
... and a complete clip of the silly song
https://youtu.be/PuUPWonWkhc