Shane's Booklist - Age 11

The "GoodReads" site created in 2006, is one of the main ways people keep track of their books today. In the olden days ... often it was just writing down the titles on a sheet of lined paper. Shane's booklist from his sixth grade year was discovered among the "saved, to be scanned" items. 

While some books stand the test of time, and are enjoyed by generations of kids, the Westra grandkid generation likely has a very different list of books for different ages and stages (Magic Treehouse, Captain Underpants, Big Nate, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter ... check out a Blackham post about Keaton's love of the Origami Yoda series) . Definitely something that is interesting to track and reflect on. 

"The Shades" was considered a Westra classic, absolutely adored by the Westra girls especially (along with the author's other book "No Flying in the House"). The "Indian in the Cupboard" series was made into a movie, as was "Babe". Jen reread "Call it Courage" and "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" recently. Which of these are still in circulation today? Have the younger generation read any of these "old" books? Which other books are considered favorites from Growing Up Westra (Beverly Cleary and Carolyn Haywood books, Encyclopedia Brown, The Great Brain, Sonny Elephant, The Marrow of the World ... I feel another blog post coming on!) 

Many books have been updated and republished over the years. It's fun to do a Google search and see if there are original covers that bring back memories. "The Ghost Next Door" didn't ring a book bell, but a look at the cover felt very familiar.

... the original list was scanned, and photographed. It's always fun to see the original handwriting. The photo is a little more legible (it's what is included here), but to make the list even easier to read, it's been retyped below.

1. The Pinballs by Betsy Byars
2. The Magic Meadow by Alexander Key
3. The Shades by Betty Brock
4. What Eric Knew by James Howe
5. The Not Just Anybody Family by Betsy Byars
6. Rasco and the Rats of NIHM by Jane Coley
7. The Ghost Next Door by Wylly Folk St. John
8. The Return of the Indian by Lynne Ried Banks
9. Babe the Gallant Pig by Dick-King Smith
10. A Hidden Magic by Vivian Veldo 
11. Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry
12. Star Ka'at by Andre Norton
13. Seven Spells to Sunday by Andre Norton
14. Cave of Danger by Bryce Walton
15. The Eternal Spring of Mr. Ito by Shelia Garrigue
16. Me, My Goat, My Sister's Wedding by Stella Pevsner
17. The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop
18. Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn
19. The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
20. Eli's Ghost by Betsy Hearne
21. Out of the Bug Jar by Kathleen Thomas
22. Prairie Songs by Pam Conrad
23. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
24. Building Blocks by Cynthia Voight
25. Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassedy
26. Switch Around by Lois Lowry
27. Shadow on the Dad by Anne Lindbergh
28. Hidden Shine by Walter Myers
29. Today's Special ... by Anthene V. Lord
30. Run For Your Life 
31. Illustrated Book of Knights
32. Flaming Footprints
33. Dead on Targets

Sterling Scholars

Spring of 2016 ... Jase Jensen was named Sterling Scholar in Mathematics for his high school. He was not the first in the Westra line to achieve Sterling Scholar, nor the last, not even just within the Jensen family ... Wendy has created blog posts showcasing her Sterling Scholars (see links below).

• Janika  (FACS) May 2014~ Sterling Scholar Banquet, Awards Night 
• Jase (Math) April 2016 ~ Sterling Scholar Competition, May2016 Senior Awards Night
• Jaiden  (Drama) March 2022 ~ Sterling Scholar Awards Night, Documents, Region!

The Westra Sibling Generation produced two Sterling Scholars ... in 1984 and 1994, Chris and Shane respectively.  Christopher nabbed the position to represent Cottonwood High School in Business. He had some trips, to USU and Atlanta, Georgia, dealing with his business exploits.  Shane was Sterling Scholar for Art, also for Cottonwood High (all the Westra siblings attended there). A couple of his pieces are still on display in the halls of the school (see below). 

We have an ART label here on the blog, as while Shane was the only Sterling Scholar in this area, others in the family also enjoyed drawing and painting (although Wendy says the artistic gene skipped her). 

Jen totally planned on being Sterling Scholar for Drama her graduation year (1989). With many productions and leading roles and a 3.9 GPA, it seemed like a lock. Then Emilie DeAzevado (you may have heard of the DeAzevado name, well known in the LDS music world) moved from California, with even more experience and stellar grades, and the nod went to her. Jen was quite crushed to miss out on this goal ... but the whole Sterling Scholar process IS a lot of work in the preparation of a portfolio, interviewing, etc., and even more competition beyond the school level. So ... she survived (and still made it through college on scholarships to graduate debt free). 

I did some searches in newspaper/yearbook archives, I DID find a Shane showcase ...

He's there in the top left corner ... his quote says "This art stuff is great, but what does it have to do with the Iconoclastic controversy?" Asking Shane what his quote meant, he replied "Haha, that iconoclastic controversy quote was an inside joke that only the best of Mr. Bill’s art students would understand!" 

Here's clippings from the newspaper featuring Chris and Shane and the other competitors.

Calder's Baptism

Another eight-year-old Westra grandkid! 

 ... in the "to be scanned and put into family box"  pile, the program from the baptism. 

Historic Homes in Holland ~ Shane's Trip

 

Shane and Jan Weening - December 2018

From Shane: I just barely got back from visiting Groningen (Northern Holland, where most of the de Haan lines are from). Jan Weening, a Family History Consultant in Groningen has written a book about the early church there, and knows a lot about Ate Obes Westra (my great-grandfather). I took the 3-hour train ride to Groningen, rented a bike, and Jan took me all around to see where Ate Obes lived, worked, and served as a missionary. It was so cool to see!

Here are the pictures he took on his trip ...

The photo on the left and upper right are two locations Ate Westra lived while serving as a missionary in the Netherlands (1919-1922). The bottom right is where church services were held during those years ...

... more locations where church services were held in Groningen are pictured below, 

although these were after Ate's time. 

The one on the left was where Jan Weening was baptized.

If you read Ate's History, you know that he met his wife Geeske in Groningen and they ran a laundry before they immigrated to America. Below, the top-right photo shows this laundry and their residence from 1902-1907. The building on the left is where Ate lived 1899-1900, and the bottom right is another possible residence. 

Check out A History of Homes for where Ate lived in Utah after they came to the United States.

Mom/Margie wrote to Shane: Dad just showed me your letter just now, with all the pictures!  That's amazing that you took the 3 hour train ride to Groningen, rented a bike, and went all those places where your great-grandfather lived!  So nice of Jan to take you all those places and that he knew a lot about Ate Westra! So wonderful that you took advantage of that great opportunity!  Thanks for all the photos!

... and to the other siblings: We had a nice video chat with Shane last night from his hotel in Boston. He mentioned the time with the FH consultant Jan in the Netherlands was delightful, after several train changes and bus ride---and the people in the smaller towns didn't speak English nearly as much as in Amsterdam, so it was a little harder to know what trains to take, etc. Shane would like to do something for Jan for taking so much time with him (though Jan seemed to enjoy it just as much as Shane).

One final photo from Shane's Netherland's trip ...

Shane eating raw herring ... mandatory Dutch street experience. Ewwwww.

Merry Christmas From Shane & Alicia (2018)

 

Another cute Christmas card from the Shane & Alicia crew. As cute as the cover/front is, the back is so creative and clever and really gives a great recap of their 2018 year. Ironically, the card was designed digitally, while the images for this post are scans of the physical card ... the colors don't come across as well in a scan as in the original. 

You can read more about Shane's trip to Holland HERE. 

Merry Christmas from Shane & Alicia (2017)

 

A simple but oh so cute card featuring Shane & Alicia's family in 2017. 

Merry Christmas!

Shane's Penny Portrait

Yes, it's a portrait of Lincoln made of pennies! Shane had the idea back when he was in high school. He completed it a couple of years ago and I loved it then, and I love it now. With President's Day weekend coming up ... and today actually being Lincoln's birthday, it definitely deserves a blog post!

Here are some random facts about the picture from Shane:

• Made from 1,638 pennies (1,612 whole pennies and 52 half pennies).
• Each row has 31 and 1 half pennies.
• There are 52 rows.
• The pennies are staggered (so the second row is offset from the first row so each row “fits” into the neighboring row), resulting in the need to have a half penny on each row.
• There is at least one penny from each year from 1909 to 2009.
• There is one 1943 steel penny (lower right-hand corner).
• The US mint is making 2009 pennies with new designs on the reverse – there are 4 different designs: Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky (aka “Log Cabin”), Formative Years in Indiana (aka “Rail Splitter”), Professional Life in Illinois, and Presidency in Washington, DC. I wanted to use at least one penny with each reverse design (although all the pennies in the picture only show the front); but only the first two were available when assembling the picture, so I’ll swap out two pennies for the other 2009 designs later.
• I tried to find enough dark pennies, but ended up coloring some pennies (using different methods) to have enough dark and mid-tones.
• The pennies are fastened to a piece of pressed wood (masonite).
• The pennies were fastened primarily using contact cement; although I did experiment with gorilla glue and liquid nails as well.
• The picture is fairly heavy, and so I will craft a special mechanism to hang it (once I get it framed).

Update: It has been hanging in Shane and Alicia's home for a while now ...

Merry Christmas From Shane & Alicia (2002)

(this will be backdated to Dec 2002)

Shane and Alicia got married in 2001, so 2002 was Christmas #2. They mailed out cute handmade cards for the holiday season. Also included was an annual recap, which is shown below ...

He's Home ~ Shane is Back!

(This will be backdated to June 1997)

Shane had left on his mission to Brazil on July 19, 1995. He returned June 25, 1997. Family went to greet him at the airport to welcome him back. Not a lot of photos, but some film footage was found capturing the event ...

https://youtu.be/tNsjs3OtD9Q

 Here's an excerpt from Dad/Lamar's Journal

25 June 1997  "I took another vacation day, we left about 3:00 for the airport to see Shane's arrival. He was scheduled to arrive at 3:58 pm on United Flight 385 from Denver, but the plane didn't arrive until 4:30. The twins and their buddies, Nate and Wendy arrived, then Scott and Amy and kids, and Rick and Wendy and Janika and Landon. Jen was having back problems and Rick and Wendy were tending Landon. It was quite a crowd there at the gate, with lots of missionaries arriving home. Shane looked great, albiet a little close cropped in the coiffure. We drove home and had a nice evening at home, hosting lots of visitors, and had a nice lasagna dinner.

Mom has mentioned the funny memory of Derek coming downstairs laughing and telling her "Shane has been talking to me in Portuguese for the last fifteen minutes and he doesn't even realize it!"  

A few days before at the Blackham home ...

From Jen's Journal: Monday, June 23 ... Rick called with the idea of getting all the grandkids together to make welcome home signs for Shane. We hosted, and they brought some posterboard and paint. 

A few days after the airport, there was a big Westra gathering held in Scott&Amy's backyard (Hello/Goodbye) ... the first time EVERYONE had been together in a couple of years. A family photo was taken. We welcomed Shane home from his mission, and bid Jensen's good luck in their new home in St. George.

Shane's homecoming was Sunday, June 29. Jen sang and Wendy signed. 

There was a luncheon back at the Westra Backyard after the church meeting. 

There is a little video from that gathering too ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnqCDP6L41c

Check out the Pre-Mission Photoshoot/Mission Call Memories for how it all began ...

Pre-Mission Photoshoot & Mission Call Memories

Here's Shane's mission call memories he wrote up in an email a few years ago ...

I received my call on my birthday in 1995. It hadn't been that long since I submitted my papers, so while I thought it would be cool to get my call on my birthday I was totally expecting it the following week. But I went to the mailbox just to check, and the big envelope was there! I couldn't believe it. Mom was the only one home, and I knew she would try to convince me to open it right away, so I shoved it under my shirt and came home and said "sorry, I guess we need to wait". I went up to my room (I was staying in the East bedroom at the time) and put it under my pillow and went about the day like normal. A while later Mom said "I was so hoping it would come today!" and I admitted it did come. She made me go get it right away and said I should open it right then, but I wanted to wait. She convinced me to at least call Dad from work and open it with him on the phone. I remember seeing Brazil -- somewhere I hadn't really seen myself going -- and "Belém" was a place I had never heard of, so I ran and got the globe and found out where that was. As we learned more about Belém and Brazil in general I became even more excited, while Mom became even more nervous. It was also cool to see President Hinckley's signature on it, as he has just barely been sustained as the prophet and president of the church. 

Shane was he the fourth Westra missionary, but the first of the Westra siblings to leave the country for a mission. Shane had been going to school at the U, but was still living at home, so he hadn't had that "out of the house" experience the other Westra missionaries had. Mom was a little nervous about it all.  He was scheduled to leave for the MTC on July 19, leaving for Brazil in September. Mom and Dad tried to get in a lot of landscaping around the house while Shane was still around to help. Then the yard and house was used for a pre-mission photoshoot! 

Mom remembers that they didn't check the mission papers for awhile, and then saw the passport stuff should have been started earlier. They panicked and worried it wouldn't come in time! They ended up going to a place in Trolley square to get the passport photo taken--nearest place they could find back then.

Pretty good pictures ... but too bad Alicia wasn't around to do a professional photoshoot ;) 

(check out Landon's Pre-Mission Photoshoot for Alicia's photos)

Shane was the first Westra (of this generation) to leave the country for his mission - 

but he wouldn't be the last!

To Mom ... From Shane

 In the "scan and box" pile, there was a little piece of paper money. Quite a piece of workmanship. It is a "Mother's Day Reserve Note" ... this note is legal tender for all mothers, public and private. Drawn on the Shane Westra treasury of money, by Shane, the secretary of the treasury for the United Westra Household ... this bill is good for three work hours. THREE ... being displayed numerous times, in a variety of ways. This was the 1991 series, which would have Shane in his sophomore year. 

I wonder if Mom/Margie ever collected (I'm sure Shane has done more than three hours of work, but I wonder if the bill was ever exchanged for it ...)

2HAN3 I2 C00I ... Shane is Cool

Also included in the "scan and box" pile, was a handwritten note, on (now) aged lined paper. From Shane, to Mom. No date, so we don't know if it was something that went along with the bill above, or was from a different time/season. 

 Transcribed ...

Mom ... I always like it when you're there. If I come home from school or a different place, you'll be there. Even if you're not there right at that time, I can trust that you'll be back. I remember when I got knocked out on Chris' ice patch on the patio. I woke up in your arms. I still remember it and will for a long time. You always put up sayings around the house. I think it helps a lot to be a better person. I always read them. I love it when you make pancakes and eggs and Hillshire sausage and we all sit down and eat till we're stuffed. Love Shane

Wonders of the World - Reflection Art

In a recent post, the annual PTA Reflections contest was addressed. There was a recap of ALL the themes from the past years, and a showcase of some of the music entries (several from Jen back in the day, and more recently with Jenna and Janika).  See that post HERE. Jen's final entry her junior year was for the theme "Wonders of the World" ... 

Just uncovered, were entries for this same year (1987-88) from Shane and Derek. Both were at Woodstock elementary. Shane was in 6th grade, Derek in Kindergarten. Shane's art entry is shown above ... rainbows, mountains, sunrises, roses, butterflies (check out the Blackham Monarch Memories).  Shane would continue to hone his artistic talent, as well as his academic scholarship, and become Sterling Scholar for Visual Arts during his senior year. 

Derek's entry was also a collage of a variety of "wonders"  ... like Shane, a rainbow made his list, along with rockets, racecars and ... my family. Ahhhh sweet! 

... included here are snapshots of the backs, with the entry form info Interesting to see the handwriting, changes in signatures (for the kids ... the folks signatures stay the same), etc. Mom/Margie was the parent signing for Shane, while Dad/Lamar put his John Hancock down on Derek's. 

Check out Jen's song "Music - The Greatest Wonder in the World"

A Peek Into the Mind of Shane Westra ~ Age 9

Yesterday we caught a glimpse of some of Wendy's journal entries.

Just in case you were wondering ...

both Wendy and Shane gave the okay for their journal pages to be shared on the blog.

Next up, showcasing Shane!

This is Shane ... 9 years old, funny face.

It is his artwork anyway.

Recently uncovered in the Westra Archives, was the handwritten journal of a young Shane Westra. Just nine years old. As the journal begins, we get a history of Shane's life - covering those first nine years. One has to assume that he does not actually remember all of the details from those earliest of days, but had been told stories of his birth and younger years, which he then recorded for posterity. In cursive ...

Ah, the smudges, tape stains, additions written in. Makes it authentic!

Pictures ages 2-5,  early years and Kindergarten

Shane moved on to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade.

Spotlighting teachers, friends and memorable experiences.

1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade photos

Jen notes "I really LIKED Mrs. Bullock/3rd grade!"

Check out School Daze for school memories and annual photos.

Now that the "history" has been recorded, day to day journaling begins ...

Much of what young Shane wrote is in the present tense.

"I am going to bed now" ... you will see that closes many an entry.

What can you gather from basic journal entries over the years? Shane mentions movies a lot ... it's interesting to see what was out in theaters, and what was popular on TV (MacGyver, Different Strokes, Family Ties, Cosby Show, Who's the Boss, Growing Pains, GI Joe). He mentions books (Here's a Penny, Trumpet of the Swan), games (Boggle), that Dad was in a car pool.  On the next page, he starts with "I just got up, and got my feet warm" ... hmmm, how did he get his feet warm. I seem to recall Westra children sometimes gathering over a heating vent to catch the warm air coming out. He warms them up again on Thursday, and on page 8 (Mar26) he does specifically say "I warmed my feet on the heater". 

"Frosted Graham Crackers" ... THAT needs to be a blog post!

(and now it is ... see it here Frosted Graham Crackers)

A classic Westra treat!

A little later on, "leather" in mentioned too.

 ... reading that last line, Shane mentions "Halley's Comet" which you may have heard of. Definitely journal worthy as is the only short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth ... if you can say every 75-76 years is "regular".  So even if Shane's journal entry hadn't been clearly marked with the year, from this one entry, we could have determined that it was 1986. The next time Halley's Comet can be seen will be July 28, 2061.

Page 5 above is not the end of Shane's writings. There are 36 pages scanned and safely stored in Dropbox (right under all the listings of the years, there is a PHOTOS and HISTORIES by FAMILY folder, which has folders for the six siblings, Marge/Lamar and some extended family, and this is where you would find pictures or documents specific to an individual). I figured 36 pages might be a little long for this blog post, so I'll summarize a few of the other treasured tidbits in Shane's recorded memories from 1986, and if you want, you can go to Dropbox to read the rest!

Shane mentions ...

• I was playing in the sand pile making Tunnel Town
• I picked up coupons (this was one of his jobs, picking up the coupon packets that came in the newspaper from other families who didn't use them ... Mom/Margie wanted them! There were boxes where we would "file" them). 
• Today I milked an elephant (April Fools!)
• We went to a Rode Show, It was neat. 
• I almost got the Presidential Award, missed it by two pullups
• I played with tadpoles that I got on Memorial Day
• Went to the orchard on a bike ride
• Transformers, watching TV and playing soccer
• Recorded "Cosby" (so we had a VCR)

... and apparently Shane would write in his journal right before going to bed, or at least that's how he ended almost every single entry. "Then I went to bed."   Goodnight Shane! Thanks for the memories!

Wendy's Baptism ~ Shane's Blessing

There are no pictures of Wendy in a pretty dress or a white baptismal outfit, but there is a certificate to indicate it happened (typo on Dad's name too!) Here's Mom/Margie's memories written in Wendy's baby book ...

You were baptized on June 5, 1976 (Bicentennial Year). You would have been baptized in May, but we were expecting baby Shane any day (due April 17). We waited a month so that the baby could be blessed on the same Sunday you were confirmed. 

So on June 6, you were confirmed and baby Shane was blessed. You bore your testimony during fast meeting. It was the first time any of our children had borne their testimony. We were very proud of you. Both your grandparents came and Aunt Lorrie and Jason and Katie (Uncle Merrill was out of town on business).

After Sacrament meeting, we had a nice family dinner. Saturday, after you were baptized, Dad took you four kids to dinner at Farrells to celebrate and we gave you a book about Joseph Smith. 

While not specifically labeled ... this looks like it was the Sunday in question. Shane looks very young, dressed in a white "blessing" type outfit, and as mentioned in Mom's memory, Jason and Katie are there in the picture too.

The next generation repeated this baptism/blessing combo a couple of times. In 2002 Chris's crew combined Kaden's baptism and Camden's blessing, and in 2003, Jen's family had a baptism/blessing with little Landon and baby Cooper. 

Shane Shows Up

Mom's Memories (written in 2020): We were back in Salt Lake. I chose the St. Mark's hospital since I wanted a private room, albeit, they were very small rooms. Then I chose a doctor who delivered there. He was probably a good doctor, but had a very poor bedside manner. The doctor visits consisted on his saying, "Any questions? See you next time." With Shane's birth, it was the only time I was told by a doctor at one of the last visits, that I would probably come early. Then he was 16 days later than his due date! It just started to feel unreal, like this baby would never be born! He was 8 lbs. 12 oz. Our biggest baby.

From the baby book:

• It was Monday, May 3, 1976. 6:10 a.m.
• 8 pounds 12 ounces, 22 inches
• Dr. W. Adams
• Dad's Notes: Our new baby was scheduled to arrive 17 April 1976 but was 16 days late. Finally, early in the morning of 3 May, 1976 at about 12:30 a.m, Baby Shane decided to let his mother know he was ready. Bags had been packed for weeks, so his mother showered, his father called Grandma Burgener, and Mom and Dad left for the hospital in the little yellow-orange Vega. Arrangements had already been made with the new St. Mark's hospital at 13th East and 39th South, about a 10-minute drive. Shane didn't seem to be in a big hurry, so we took our time, arrived at the emergency entrance to the hospital, took the long walk to the elevators, and went up to the 2nd floor, past the nursery. It took us about 10 minutes to roust up a nurse, but we finally made contact. Margie changed into hospital wear and got into a bed for tests, hooked to a monitoring machine, and a long wait. Dad went back down to officially check-in at 3:05 a.m. Dad was quite queasy after the birth, and had to leave for a few minutes. Grandma Burgener came to stay with the children while we were at the hospital. Dad came home in time to get the kids off to school, and then hit the sack for a few hours to try to make up for lost sleep the previous night. Dad stayed home from work that day. They next day he took his "cigars" (tootsie rolls packed in a cigar box) and passed them out at work.
• Mom's Notes: Shane was born at 6:10 a.m. The cord was around his neck and he was very blue. We were quite frightened as it seemed to take several minutes to get him crying. His color improved rapidly after that. LaMar was with me all during labor and birth (for the first time). We called the kids and told them about their new brother before they went to school. 
• Shane slept through the night the day he was one week old. He slept through the night most nights after that.
• Shane loved the pacifier, starting his first night home. He seldom went to sleep without it.
• June 6, 1976. Shane was blessed by his Dad in the Cottonwood 11th ward. Wendy was confirmed the same day. After the meeting, we had a nice family dinner at the house. Both grandparents came, and Aunt Lorrie, and cousins Jason and Katie (Merrill was out-of-town - Shane shares this birthday with Uncle Merrill).  
• Shane started smiling a little and making a few "goos" and gurgles at four weeks. He laughed a little at one month. He rolled from his stomach to his back on June 3, when he was one month old. He rolled from his back to his stomach just before four months. 
• At six-weeks, the doctor (Dr. Steven Carr) discovered that Shane's feet turned in too much. He recommended a bar to force his feet outward and even loaned one that his children had used. At five months the special shoes/bar didn't have to be worn anymore. 
• September 25, 1976 the whole family went to Lagoon on a special, $12 per car. Grandma Burgener and Karen also came. This was Shane's first big outing (4½ months old). He had his little hand stamped along with all the rest of the family. He was very good, pushed around in his stroller the whole time.  

Very glad to have all this information recorded in the baby book (and now the blog!)

Here's a little peek at the baby book, and some of the other saved mementos.

As with the other "birth stories" I'll include the captured DMarie TimeCapsule ...

... there was something similar typed up and given out at the hospital