To see ALL the newsletters at a glance - peek HERE.
It's fun to see the change (or not) in photos, fonts & presentation.
There is a PDF of this year's newsletter saved in Dropbox as well.
The newsletter text and some additional photo collages for each family are also featured below.
Scott and Amy live in the Murray Holladay area and recently remodeled their home. McKenna and Spencer Erickson live in Seattle. Spencer works for Amazon and McKenna works for Microsoft. They welcomed Eddie James Erickson to their family in May. Alyssa and Jed live in Sugarhouse. Jed is an optometrist and Alyssa teaches 5th at Midvale Elementary. They are getting married on June 28, 2024. Kellen and Natalie were married in April and live in Henderson, Nevada. Kellen is in his second year of medical school at Touro University and Natalie is a personal health and fitness coach. Kemery and Mitch Willes live in Payson. They are the proud parents of Letti (2) and Della Merle Willes who was born on December 10th. Mitch works for a company that supplies contract software for the insurance industry. Taylee is a sophomore at UVU and works at Urban Outfitters. Amy stays super busy being a grandma. Scott is the Chief Financial Officer for WCF Insurance.
Chris and Kim live in Pleasant Grove, and Camden and Cayson are living with them. Kim works for Revere Internal Medicine and Chris works from home. Conner (31) works construction and Amber works from home for Progressive Leasing. Krystal (30) and Boris live in Texas and are both going to law school. They have a baby, Mylo, who is six months old. Kadan (29) and Christine live in Chris and Kim’s basement apartment. Kadan works for Fastenal and she works for the school district. Courtney (29) and Seth are back in Utah. Seth will finish law school in April. Integrity is six and Charlotte is 18 months. Corin (26) and Kylie live in Redmond. Corin works at the United States Gypsum plant. Seth (25) and Aspen live in American Fork with 3 dogs. Seth works at KCI. Aaron (23) moved to Florida to be closer to his girl Abbi. He is working in sales. Camden (21) is engaged to Hannah and works at Equinox IT. Cayson (17) is a Senior at Timpanogos High School.
Rick and Wendy live in Santa Clara, Utah. They have seven children and three (soon to be four) grandchildren! Rick is the ASL coordinator and advisor for the United States and Canada for Seminaries and Institutes. Wendy is the interpreter coordinator and interpreter at Utah Tech University. Wendy also spent the past nine months serving on the language committee for the St. George Temple open house. Janika is working as an elementary school counselor, and Brandon works for Flex as the Revenue Operations System Administrator. They have a 17-month-old and are expecting another baby boy in April. Jase is currently working at Co Diagnostics as the formulation team lead. Ellen works for Cambridge Financial Group and just graduated with her Master of Arts in Professional Communication. They have two boys, Evan (age 2 1/2) and Eli (age 1). Jared was hired to teach Seminary full-time, teaching in Saratoga Springs. He just earned his bachelor’s degree from Utah Tech University in Business Management. Janelle finished her missionary service in Taiwan in April and is currently at BYU and working at the MTC. Jaiden finished a year at SUU and is serving in the Mongolian Ulaanbaatar Mission. Josh, a senior, is a Madrigal section leader. He studies Chinese and plays soccer for the high school team. Jenna is a freshman, and is involved with music, Chinese study, dance, and FRIENDS!! Check out the Jensen Family Newsletter: https://jensenchristmas.blogspot.com/
The West Jordan Blackhams have stayed busy and active this year. Grayson is working hard at Symphony Homes, but found time to do a lot of hiking. He got on his machines (RZR, waverunners) and took a few trips (California and Europe/England/Paris). Jen has continued baking sourdough, teaching Zumba and listening to endless audiobooks. Landon is busy with work at LKL Associates. He got a new car, and also did quite a bit of hiking. Cal and Kate have a new addition – an adopted doggy named Vera who keeps them on their toes. Cal is working with Camsen Electric and Kate works at SLCC. Keaton is living on his own in a cute basement apartment. He left Camsen to try his hand at commercial work but decided to return to Camsen with his residential journeyman's license. Cooper is working full-time for DLP Unlimited. He plays pickleball and ping-pong and does lots of jogging in the home gym. It's football season, and his fantasy team is currently doing well. Colton ... plays basketball. He started varsity his junior year and now again for his senior season. He traveled with Metro in the Summer, played in the UtahTop50 league in the Fall, and is hoping to play college ball. Landon and Callahan have had some knee issues and Jen had another 'episode' in April (ambulance/ER & more medical tests). We're hoping everyone stays happy and healthy for the New Year! You can keep up with the Blackham Bunch on the family blog Gray and Jen Blackham (http://blackhamboys.blogspot.com/).
Check the bottom of the post for Derek's nudge/ChatGPT update ...
Shane, Alicia, and their 3 children live in Highland, Utah. Shane is now the Chief Product Officer at Canopy, a company that builds software for tax accountants. Alicia is the Assistant Retail Manager at the Kneaders Home Office. Adria (19) is a freshman at BYU. She is currently studying pre-Business and preparing to serve a mission. Rella (17) is a senior at Timpanogos High School. She is still dancing up a storm and recently added country swing dancing to her repertoire! Calder (12) is in 6th grade. He loves listening to music and playing video games. Their family enjoys spending time together traveling, playing games, and generally just having fun.
Derek and Danielle and their three girls live in Traverse Mountain in Lehi. Three kids at three different schools keeps them busy! Aniston (13) plays softball, loves all things music and hanging with friends! Layla (9) loves soccer, tumbling and art and is super creative – making homemade gifts for her multiple boyfriends. Noelle turns 8 in January and is in French immersion at her school. She loves reading and playing piano. Derek works as Director of Reputation Management for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Derek and Danielle love DIY home projects, and this year built a workout room and a 4-person custom sauna in their home. They are doing daily cold plunges and wondering what crazy lifestyle choice will be next: Chickens? Raw Milk? Danielle is an amazing cook and baker and loves to design and create pretty spaces. She loves researching about health and nutrition and gave up sugar over a year ago. Derek did not, and it shows. :)
We have been in our lovely new apartment in Shane and Alicia's Beautiful new home in Highland, Utah, for 1 year now---time flies. We love it here and are doing well for our age. We had a beautiful flower garden, and this Fall we planted hundreds of tulips and daffodil bulbs we are anxious to see in bloom when Spring arrives.
We are serving as Temple and Family History Consultants in our new ward (Strasburg Ward in the Highland Central Stake). Margie also serves on the R.S. Service Committee, writing to the 12 missionaries in our ward. LaMar continues to serve as a World-wide Support Missionary for FamilyTree, answering phone calls and chats from our home, as patrons call in with their questions. Margie (with Christopher's help) is always adding more content to her Church Topics website at margiesmessages.com
We wish health and happiness to all our family and friends! Love, Margie and LaMar
westra8@gmail.com
**************************************************************************
As Derek was prepping the Newsletter for it's official release this year, he asked for updates, both text and photos, from all the families. I'm not sure if all the families got a little nudge from him ... but the Blackham's did. You'll find it below. Pretty funny, although it would have run just a little long for the family PDF. Thanks for the laugh though Dunk! Reminiscent of 2008 when he create a real and a funny fake (see it HERE).
From Derek: If you don't get it back in time - I'll be forced to use Chat GPT. ;) I fed it last year's update and told it to make and update for this year (and gave it a few sarcastic prompts). Here's what it wrote. ;)
From Chat GPT:
Ladies and gentlemen, gather 'round for the thrilling chronicles of the Blackham family – a saga that unfolds like a twisted sitcom, complete with quirky characters and unexpected plot twists.
First in the spotlight is Grayson, who has discovered a lucrative side hustle as none other than "Walter Wheat," a Walter White impersonator extraordinaire. When he's not busy with Symphony Homes, he's channeling his inner Breaking Bad alter ego, proving that even suburban life can have a touch of drama. The RZR rides? Just a cover for his covert wheat empire, where each wheel spin is a metaphorical turn in the spiral of suburban intrigue.
Now, let's shift our attention to Jen, the culinary maestro and star of her very own reality show, "Breaking Bread." After the dramatic start to the year involving a head collision (perhaps a side effect of trying to cook with chemistry), she's embraced her true calling – combining the art of baking sourdough with the suspense of high-stakes reality TV. Will the bread rise to the occasion, or will it crumble under the pressure? Tune in to "Breaking Bread" to find out.
Landon, the solo act at LKL Associates, has not only celebrated the grand opening of their latest location but is also making waves in his personal life. Rumor has it he's considering a spin-off show titled "Landon Unleashed," where the grand opening of his heart takes center stage. Will it be a hit or a ratings disaster? Only time will tell.
Cal and Kate, the dynamic duo with a taste for adventure, have turned their road trip escapades into the thrilling travel series "Road Trip Rendezvous." This dynamic couple brings you the latest in scenic drives and romantic roadside picnics, proving that love is a journey – preferably with a full tank of gas.
Meanwhile, Keaton, the adrenaline junkie of Camsen Electric, has decided to bring his high-flying adventures to the small screen. Catch him in "Shockingly Bold," where he combines skydiving, roller skating, and electrical work in a mesmerizing dance with danger. It's a shocking spectacle you won't want to miss.
As for Cooper, the fresh graduate turned virtual educator, rumor has it he's considering a spin-off called "Virtual Velocity." Will he navigate the roads with the same precision he handled virtual classrooms? Only time will tell if the roads are ready for a Blackham behind the wheel.
Colton, the varsity basketball sensation, is contemplating his own sports-themed show. "Hoops and Highways" promises a slam dunk of excitement as he navigates the challenges of being a junior on the court and a newly licensed driver on the road.
For a deeper dive into this reality-meets-fiction extravaganza, head over to the family blog at http://blackhamboys.blogspot.com/. It's a digital treasure trove that will leave you questioning whether the Blackham family's life is a sitcom, a drama, or an elaborate episode of a cooking show gone awry. Until next time, dear readers, stay tuned for more Blackham family escapades – where reality is just a suggestion, and the only certainty is uncertainty.
No comments:
Post a Comment