1998 Christmas Letter

Dear Friends and Family— 

It’s hard to believe another year has gone by. We hope it has been a good one for all of you. It has been for us. We’ll catch you up on all the Westra Clan. 

• Scott and Amy Westra: are living in Draper. Scott is a CPA working for Workman’s Compensation Fund of Utah. They added a beautiful little baby daughter, Kemery, to their family on Aug. 5. She joins McKenna—age 5 1/2, Alyssa—age 3 l/2, and Kellen—age 2.
• Chris and Sandy Westra: are living in Fayette, Utah. Tired of all the commuting to Provo, Chris changed jobs this year. He now works just 5 miles from home as a Substance Abuse Counselor at the Gunnison Prison. Their 3 boys are Conner—age 6 ½, Kadan—age 4 l/2, and Corin—18 months. 
• Wendy and Rick Jensen: are living in St. George, where Rick is teaching Seminary at Pine View High School. Wendy is teaching Sign Language (ASL) at Dixie College and Rick is teaching Computer Classes there and for an Internet Company for a little extra money. Their daughter Janika just turned 3 years old and their son Jase just turned 1. 
• Jeni and Grayson Blackham: are living in West Jordan. Grayson is a builder and Jeni has a successful booth at the Quilted Bear Boutique in Midvale. Their son Landon turned 3 in Sept. and they are expecting another baby boy in March. They are soooo excited! 
• Shane: is in the Architecture Program at the U. of U., which keeps him EXTREMELY busy! He’s often up there 24 hours a day! He will get his BA degree in the Spring. He did manage to build us a pond and waterfall in our backyard this summer—it’s almost finished anyway. He is our computer expert and tries to keep all our equipment running smoothly. He was our ward’s Webelos Leader for the 16 months since he returned from his mission to Brazil, but has recently switched to the Young Adult Ward. 
• Derek: is 16 ½ and a Junior at Cottonwood High School. He works at “The Store” and has lots of terrific friends--both male and female. He is a great and caring person who always tries to do what is right. He enjoys sports and art and music. 

LaMar is still working at Unisys. Margie volunteers at the Family History Center Wed. mornings and at the Surgical Center at Cottonwood Hospital on Fri. mornings. LaMar is the Stake Family Search Director and Margie is the Ward Family History Coordinator. Margie’s other hobbies are flower gardening and computer. Besides genealogy, LaMar’s other hobbies are genealogy and genealogy! We won’t have to be worried about him being bored when he retires someday. 

We hope you all have a happy and healthy 1999!
Love, The Westras

Happy Holidays ~ 1998

I've noticed that the majority of pictures from family gatherings come from my/Jen's camera. For Christmas 1998, I was pregnant with Callahan and wasn't feeling great. It was a little earlier in December when I'd passed out in Sacrament meeting. Grayson was shifting jobs (had quit K&B, went Pentalon, but then got the Hamlet Homes offer) - so life was a little crazy and I didn't get pictures of Christmas Eve ... or at least I thought I hadn't, as I didn't find the usual ones at the Havenmoor Home. I was keeping a journal at this time (the memories from above and some of the dates below) but didn't mention much about Christmas Eve ... except to say that we were late (as usual). Wendy consulted her journals and was able to add some details. We'll have to check out Dad's journals to see if he has more memories from December 1998.

At the end of November, Jensens were in town, and stayed at the Blackham's. On November 28, we had a belated Westra Thanksgiving at the Havenmoor House.  There were several pictures of the grandkids with gifts in December Dropbox that were labeled "Christmas 1998", but you can see the corner (bottom left), and the tree isn't there. Some years though, the tree was at the base of the stairs instead of in the corner.  Landon and McKenna are holding gifts, so it would be easy to think it was Christmas ...but this was the dinner and "December" birthday celebration (photos of Jase, with a second pink cake for Janika). 

Wendy had a little bit of video from the day ...

https://youtu.be/cQiD_QunEPQ

Thanks to Wendy's journal entry, we now know that Christmas Eve 1998 was actually held at Scott and Amy's house (on Rosewood Park Lane in Draper). Note the different decor and couches in the three photos (Christmas Eve 2012 would also be hosted by Scott&Amy). At the Westra home, I'm sure another little stocking was added to Scott&Amy's with the addition of little Kemery this year.

The picture of the Jensen family (bottom center) is back at the Havenmoor House right around Christmas. You can see the card holder decoration there in the background. The group of grandkids on the stairs?  Another journal entry indicates a belated Christmas dinner at the folks on December 28, so maybe it was from then (found footage ... video from this event below), or another time before when everyone was together (different outfits than any of the other photos). 

THIS video was uncovered after this post went up. All the indications (ages, # of stockings, placement on the video between 1997 and 1999) are that this is Christmas 1998, but if Christmas Eve was held elsewhere, perhaps this is from the post-Christmas party on December 28th.

https://youtu.be/PVj_ZGX1UcQ

Lots of detective work required for this year. What have we learned?

Keep journals. Take photos & label photos. Add personal pictures to the family Dropbox.

A Mother's Day Poem - By Wendy

 

 

... a poem written and shared by Wendy in 1998

MOTHERHOOD

Although I can't remember, the time I was a babe

and relied on you for every need, for food and love and aid.

I feel your love and endless care, and all the sacrifice

that you must have showered o'er me, from the first day of my life.

I feel it when I gaze into the eyes of my dear children,

and comfort them in sickness or play with them in fun.

I feel it during those sleepless nights, when only a mother's care will do

I feel it when I'm discouraged about those terrible twos.

I feel it after a warm embrace when my child has stubbed her knee,

I feel it in the pride that's there, when she says her ABC's.

Although my children are still so small, they've taught me something great;

I've felt the love you had for me, when your own needs had to wait.

So thank you dear mother, for your worry and prayers, for all the time you spent on me 

that has helped me too, become a mother in Zion for all eternity!!

Easter 1998

I couldn't find any Westra Easter pictures from 1997, but it looks like there was a group gathering in 1998 again. Added a few grandkids from just two years ago (Kemery coming in August). Gathering up all the grandkids for a photo op on the stairs would be a tradition repeated in many years to come. Sitting kids ON the stair rail in the house also happens again in future years! 

Compare and contrast these early Easter celebrations to the later ones! Lots of littles this year, all wanting to look for eggs. It was up to the adults to hide them. In future years, the older kids (too cool for the hunt) would help hide the eggs. 

This would have been Shane's first Easter back home from his mission (June 1997).

Before the Westra party, Janny and Landon had a little Easter Egg hunt at the Deaf Center.