Passing the Buck ~ Dollar Tree

 

In February 2022, Derek's family had a getaway to Moab. Above, you can see a list that little Layla made up of important things to do. On that list ... a trip to Dollar Tree! This was not the first time Layla's love for Dollar Tree made it on to social media. About a year earlier, January of 2021, Derek posted this text conversation between Layla and her Grandpa Taylor ~

On this blog, in addition to family history and more recent family fun, I've tried to include some things beyond family, things affecting the time (the state, the country, the world) as well.  Dollar Tree was one of the first "dollar stores" and has been selling its items for the famous ONE DOLLAR for over 35 years. It made the news (end of 2021, beginning of 2022) when Dollar Tree officially raised it's prices to $1.25. 

It is the end of an era. 

Just as "penny candy" is a thing of the past,

I wonder if Layla & the other grandkids will remember when things at DT actually cost $1 ...

Now - should there be an explanatory post about Ugly Dolls???

Check out Timeless Toys for the favorites of the Westra kids growing up. 

Christmas Eve 2021

Here's a little look at Christmas Eve 2021. This was the final year for the Havenmoor House to host the holiday party for the Westra clan. The Jensen's were visiting the Jensen side of the family this year, but even without their crew, the place was pretty packed. 

There was the traditional soups, breadsticks, Brazilian cheese rolls (for the G/F crew) and oodles of desserts. And if there weren't already enough treats, then there was the CANDY BAR game. It gets a little crazy. 

Jen brought some "photobooth" props, and they were a hit and perfect for poses and helped get some additional pictures. Everyone watched the annual slideshow and looked through the new calendar for 2022. It was fun to get the family together to celebrate Christmas Eve, to eat and reminisce, and make more memories.  

Christmas Slideshow - 2021

 It's tradition ... so once again, here's a peek at the past year ala Westra. 

Soundtrack "To Begin Again" by Ingrid Michaelson, "There's a Place" by Roo Panes, "Missing Piece" by Vance Joy and "Back Where You Belong" by Lindsey Ray ... basically, a portion of the Grey's Anatomy Season 17 soundtrack. Jen was a little under the weather as December started up, and ended up watching the entire season and Shazamming songs she liked. This year, Wondershare was used to create the slideshow instead of Muvee (if some things look just a little different). 

It's always a little interesting how the topics come together ... there's almost always "Snow" and "Water" (NO Blackham water pics, as with the drought, the waverrunners never made it up to the reservoir). School and sports, dating/dances. This year we had "home" features, as well as "travel" and lots of red rock pictures! Animals, Jumping, Eating (sourdough) ... and of course all the families featured. So enjoy the recap, and here's to making more memories next year! 

Christmas Newsletter 2021

The annual Christmas Newsletter ... this year and all previous years are saved in PDF format in the family dropbox (link to 2021) for close up viewing! If you don't have access to the family Dropbox, email/text Grandma/Chris/Jen for the signin/pw!

Text from the newsletter is included below for easy reading ...

McKenna and Spencer Erickson live in Seattle. Spencer received his MBA from BYU last Spring. McKenna works for Microsoft and Spencer works for Amazon. They spend their spare time traveling and preparing fine cuisine. Alyssa lives in Sugarhouse and teaches 5th grade at Spectrum Academy, a school for autistic children. Kellen is attending Utah Valley University and will graduate next Spring in Biology. He took the MCAT and is interviewing at medical schools. He works as an EKG Tech in the Emergency Department at Intermountain Medical Center. Kemery and Mitch Willes both graduated last December from UVU and BYU, respectively and live in Payson. They have a beautiful 7-month-old daughter Letti. Mitch works for a company that supplies software for the insurance industry. Taylee is a freshman at UVU and works two jobs. Amy is busy and loves being a grandma. Scott serves as the Stake Clerk and is the Chief Financial Officer for WCF Insurance. They live in Draper.

Chris and Kim live in Pleasant Grove, and Aaron and Cayson are living with them. Kim is a Medical Assistant for a Revere Nephrology Clinic and Chris works from home. Conner (29) works construction and Amber works from home for Progressive Leasing. Krystal (28) and Boris moved to Texas in order for Krystal to go to Law School. Boris works as a traveling nurse. Kadan (27) and Christine live in Cedar City. He works for Fastenal and she bakes for student dining on SUU campus. They are entrepreneurs also with small businesses on the side. Courtney (27) graduated in May in History and Religious Studies and is doing an internship for the Church. She and Seth live in American Fork and their daughter Integrity just turned four. Seth is in Law School at BYU. Corin (24) and Kylie bought a house in Redmond. Corin works at a gypsum plant. Seth (23) and Aspen bought a house in American Fork and have been renovating it. Seth has moved up to a supervisor at KCI, and Aspen works at Doterra as well as her own art business. Aaron (21) went back out into the mission field and was called to the Seattle, WA Spanish speaking mission. He came home late August and is working with his Dad. Aaron will start at UVU in January. Camden (19) is attending Snow College in Ephraim. Cayson (15) is a sophomore at PG High School and is working at Costa Vida.

Rick and Wendy live in St. George and have 7 children. Janika (26) just finished her Master’s Degree and is working as a middle school counselor. Her husband, Brandon (27), works at JobNimbus. They are new homeowners in Pleasant Grove and are expecting a baby in June! Jase (24) and Ellen (22) welcomed baby Evan to their family in July (8 weeks early)! They will move to Maryland this summer for Jase's internship at the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. Jared (21) is attending DSU and was recently hired as a part time seminary teacher. He loves it! Janelle (19) was called to the Taipei Taiwan Mission (temporarily assigned to the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission) and is currently in the Provo MTC learning Mandarin Chinese. Jaiden (17) is a very involved senior in high school – Executive Council, Madrigals, Distinguished Young Woman of Utah 1st runner up, SpongeBob in The SpongeBob Musical, and the Speech and Drama Sterling Scholar. Josh (15) is a sophomore, playing on his HS soccer team and two club teams. He is an honor student and fluent in Chinese. Jenna (13) also speaks Chinese and is involved with choir, theater, dance, and FRIENDS! Rick teaches seminary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is also over the Seminary and Institute Deaf/ASL program throughout the country. Wendy keeps the family running smoothly full-time and interprets for the Deaf part-time. (Family Newsletter: www.JensenChristmas.Blogspot.com)

Gray and Jen live in West Jordan, with three boys at home (Keaton, Cooper, and Colton) and two married but living close by (Landon and Sol, and Callahan and Kate). It's been a busy year for travel ~ Seattle a few times (once with the full family), Hawaii vacations, two trips to Mexico and lots of other weekend getaways. Kate graduated from the U, Keaton has been jumping out of planes, and it has been a year full of pickleball, ping-pong and Pokemon Go. We added an Occulus, Keaton created a 9-Square set, and Coop has been tearing it up on the treadmill. Grayson got a couple new gadgets in his garage kitchen and added several new recipes to his repertoire (when he's not riding his RZR). Jen started making sourdough, is still teaching Zumba and enjoying endless audiobooks. There is always basketball, Colton (a sophomore) has been playing JV and Varsity. Cal joined a men's league, and Coop is going to give "Senior Jazz" a go. Check out the family blog (blackhamboys.blogspot.com) for more details on all adventures.

Shane and Alicia and their 3 children live in Lindon, Utah. Shane is the Chief Product Officer at SimpleNexus in Lehi and Alicia owns a photography business. They are in the process of building a new home in Highland, which takes a good amount of their extra time and creative energy. Adria (17) is a junior and was a captain of the JV soccer team in the fall. She is taking several AP classes and is looking forward to a trip to France with students from the French program at school. Mirella (15) is a sophomore and on the Contemporary Dance Team at school as well as part of the Dance Company at her dance studio. She loves plants and is currently taking a floriculture class at school where she has learned how to create floral and plant arrangements. Calder (10) is in 4th grade. He loves building with Legos, Parkour, and figuring out how things work. He is always full of questions—thank goodness for the library and Google!

Derek and Danielle and their three girls live in Traverse Mountain in Lehi. Aniston (11) is in sixth-grade. She is on the swim-team and plays softball and piano and was the star of a local musical “Dear Edwina.” Layla (7) loves soccer, gymnastics, and crafting, and stays very busy making home-made gifts for her many friends (the whole school). Noelle will be 6 in January. She is a little clone of her mom and loves baking and helping Danielle with whatever she can. She is doing dance and tumbling and is loving it. Derek works as Director of Reputation Management for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He discovered pickleball this year and plays 3-4 times a week. Derek recorded an instrumental, piano Christmas album (just search for Derek Westra wherever you listen to music). Danielle is an amazing cook and baker and loves to design and create pretty spaces in their home. Derek loves to build whatever Danielle designs, and they run a little design website and Instagram called Functional-Décor.

Margie and Christopher are constantly updating Margie's Gospel Topics website, which has well over 2,000 pages, plus many hundreds of links. Their goal is to help busy family members and friends with material for their church talks and lessons. Check it out at MargiesMessages.com. :)

It has been a busy year as Wendy and Jeni have joined Margie and Chris in expanding a large Westra Family Database of photos and histories in Dropbox for current family and future posterity. Jeni has created dozens of fun family blog pages of the Westra Clan. It has been fun to relive and document memories of years gone by.

We have 32 grandchildren: 17 boys and 15 girls--ages 5 to 29 years old. We were blessed with 2 more great-grandchildren this year---a darling baby girl, Letti Rae, and a preemie baby boy, Evan, 4 lbs. 3 oz., both of whom are doing great! We have 3 great-grandchildren now and two more expected next June!

We now have 12 married grandchildren. We have 4 granddaughters and 8 grandsons that have served missions and returned home and one granddaughter in the MTC now. Our family is growing older (all except us, of course!)

We wish health and happiness to all our family and friends!

Love, Margie and LaMar

Father's Day 2021

 

In May, the annual invitation email from Sir Scott was extended to the Westra Clan ... 

"Family: The Draper Westra’s will be honored to host the annual Father’s Day event one month from TODAY! I hope Sunday, June 20th works for everyone. We will plan on the traditional barbeque and if Grayson will share some of his secret recipe’s (or at least some advice); I will fire up the Treager as well. Please let me know what you can bring so I can pretend to round out the menu with anything missing (by assignment to someone else of course). I think we will plan on starting around 5:00 pm with dinner. We will dedicate 6:11 pm to 6:12 pm for a group family photo. Even I can smile that long. If it looks super hot, we may shift things back an hour. Derek – as the youngest and healthiest sibling, I nominate you as chair of the activities committee. Hopefully nothing that requires a liability waiver. Feats of strength, airing of grievances, etc. Please forward the message on to your kids. They are all welcome as well. Cheers, Scott"

We WERE experiencing a heat wave in June, so slight shifts in the time frame were added ...

"Is everyone super excited to celebrate all the great dads in the family?? Hopefully we can also celebrate a Jazz victory over the Clippers in Game 7! Who names a NBA team after a manicure tool anyway? Due to the heat, we will be starting the party and having dinner at 6:30 pm. I hope that isn’t too late for everyone. If you really want to come earlier, there is some pruning and weeding that I didn’t get to. The photo slot will be moved to 7:38 – 7:39 pm. It should be a nice Summer Solstice evening with the sun setting at 9:01 pm. Projected temperature at 6:30 pm is 91 degrees, cooling to 76 degrees by sunset. See you Sunday!"

Due to the heat, instead of smoking meat, there were pulled pork sandwiches prepared. The vegetarian crew brought a veggie version. Salad, veggies, fruit, chips, Brazilian cheese rolls (for the gluten-free guys, although gluten eaters enjoy them too). Scott and Amy had installed a kitchen in their basement and it was a great out-of-the way spot for the last minute baking. Jen brought a bunch of sourdough loaves to hand out. Oodles of desserts as well ...

In previous years there has been a trampoline, slack line, jump ropes, a segway, water balloons ... this year 9-Square was introduced. The game setup is a mix between four-square and volleyball, and while you can buy the set online, it's a little pricey. Keaton made a set on his own (and then Shane ended up making one for their family as well) which he brought and set up. The Westra backyard still had the decorative lights hung (from Kemery's wedding) but Scott had taken out a tree (no more slack line!) so there was a spot for the poles. 9-Square is a great game, fast moving, good for large groups and all ages. Little Layla liked it a lot! 

A little "live-action" look at the fun ...

9-Square in the Air ala Westras

Father's Day Questionnaire - Family History Challenge

Time for another Weekly Westra Family History challenge ...

From Chris to all the grandkids ... Good morning, and happy Father’s Day! Today’s family history challenge is about your dad, of course. Come up with short answers to the 10 questions below, and send them to me.  If you don't know the answers, ask your dad! You can see my examples below the questions, I did the challenge also. Jaiden won the speed award last time, who will win this time? Make sure and share your answers with your dad.

Questions about your Dad

1. When I spend time with Dad, we like to?
2. Dad is really good at?
3. How am I like my Dad?
4. How am I not like my Dad?
5. I know my Dad loves me because?
6. My Dad's favorite food is?
7. At home, my Dad likes to?
8. Something funny about my Dad is?
9. My favorite memory with Dad is?
10. What I love most about my Dad?

(as per usual, Chris started things off ...)

Chris's Answers about LaMar Westra

1. When I spend time with Dad, we like to work in the yard, and go on hikes and walks.

2. Dad is really good at incremental actions on large projects (like building a cave).

3. How am I like my Dad? We both like to hike, and to do yard work and rock work.

4. How am I not like my Dad? I'm more talkative than my Dad.

5. I know my Dad loves me because he's willing to teach me family history.

6. My Dad's favorite food is toasted zucchini bread with butter on it.

7. At home, my Dad likes to do family history and work in the yard, and nap.

8. Something funny about my Dad is he doesn't care if his clothes match.

9. My favorite memory with Dad is going on many beautiful hikes.

10. What I love most about my Dad is how he taught me to treat my wife.

(then came the grandkid submissions, reorganized into family sections)

Kadan

1. When I spend time with Dad, we like to? Talk about crypto, markets, money, entrepreneurship, lifestyle, etc.

2. Dad is really good at? Routine, delegation, collaboration, and service.

3. How am I like my Dad? I like technology, efficiency, research, and communication.

4. How am I not like my Dad? I'm not really into rocks haha 

5. I know my Dad loves me because? He makes it a point to find ways to connect with me on a regular basis and interacts with me through those mediums. He tells me he misses me.

6. My Dad's favorite food is? Uh, pancakes?

7. At home, my Dad likes to?Work in the garden/yard, and do rockwork.

8. Something funny about my Dad is? He likes to have part-time personal assistants who are usually young kids.

9. My favorite memory with Dad is? Watching him build the house in Gunnison and going for a ride in the old Toyota pickup.

10. What I love most about my Dad? He's easy going and laid back, and when he can't be, he communicates his schedule so you know what to expect. He's trusting and inclusive.

Camden

1 I like to work outside with dad

2 dads good at finding rocks and using them as decoration.

3 I'm like my dad because I'm a hard worker.

4 I like to play video games sometimes

5 I know my dad loves me because wants me to succeed.

6 my dad eats a lot of interesting things but he likes fish

7 work outside!

8 something funny my dad does is collecting lots of rocks

9 one of my favorite memory's with my father is jumping on his little trampoline when I was sick

10 what I love most is how my father taught me to be a hard worker.

Cayson

1. When I spend time with Dad, we like to look for rocks.

2. Dad is really good at Growing plants.

3. How am I like my Dad, I like to be outside.

4. How am I not like my Dad, I am wazy wike wiky.

5. I know my Dad loves me because he says he loves me

6. My Dad's favorite food is crunchies

7. At home, my Dad likes to build with rocks

8. Something funny about my Dad is he sings weird songs.

9. My favorite memory with Dad is hiking with him

10. What I love most about my Dad that he loves me

The Jensen family ... wow, got answers from everyone! Wendy did a post on her blog with pictures, putting the kids in chronological order. Seriously ... I'm going to send you over there to read all the answers about Rick (and Ellen participated and featured her father too!) Questionnaire for Father's Day.

Cooper

1. When I spend time with my dad, we like to… do pinewood derbies.

2. Dad is really good at… making food.

3. How am I like my dad? We both like to rewatch certain videos over and over.

4. How am I not like my dad? I really like playing board games, while he doesn’t.

5. I know my dad loves me because… he buys and provides stuff for us often.

6. My dad’s favorite food is… any type of meat he has smoked.

7. At home, my dad likes to… cook food using his smoker

8. Something funny about my dad is… how he throws a football at the beach.

9. My favorite memory with my dad is… our vacation at Orcas Island.

10. What I love most about my dad is… that he provides for us.

Adria

1. When I spend time with my dad we like to mountain bike or play soccer

2. My Dad is really good at making pies 🥧

3. I’m like my dad because we both enjoy art and designing things

4. I’m not like my dad because he is much more logical than I am

5. I know my Dad loves me when he talks through decisions with me and helps me make good choices

6. Sushiiiiii ️and bananas 

7. At home my dad likes to walk in the yard and hang out with us kids

8. Something funny about my dad is that he doesn’t like teams that wear the color purple

9. My favorite memory with my dad is playing soccer with him in the backyard

10. What I love most about my dad is that he his so patient and loving to all of us even if we are having a hard time

Rella

1. When I spend time with my Dad we like to play on the guitar/bass

2. Dad is really good at taking care of a garden

3. My Dad and I both like to listen to groovy music

4. I like to read more than my dad

5. I know my Dad loves me because he spends lots of time with me

6. My Dad likes pizza and sushi

7. At home my Dad likes to practice guitar

8. Something funny about my Dad is he drives super fast when we don’t expect it

9. My favorite memory with my Dad is when we went out to eat together.

10. What I love most about my Dad is how he treats others

Ani 

1. When I spend time with Dad, we like to? Play softball together and to watch a star wars or marvel movies.

2. Dad is really good at? At building and taking care of us.

3. How am I like my Dad? We both like sports, like action movies , and Chinese food.

4. How am not like my dad? We have different eye colors and circus peanuts and I don’t.

5. I know my Dad loves me because? He works so hard for me and my family everyday and would do everything to make me happy.

6. My Dad's favorite food is? Donuts

7. At home, my Dad likes to? Play games with us and talk about are days while we eat dinner.

8. Something funny about my Dad is? He makes lots of jokes and does funny things when he play’s with me and the girls.

9. My favorite memory with Dad is? It is a video of me and dad when I was a baby and he pretended to sneeze but it made baby me laugh so hard.

10. What I love most about my Dad. He loves me and would always put family first.

Layla

1. When I spend time with Dad, we like to? Snuggle. Cuddle. Hug. And eat Pho:

2. Dad is really good at? Ummm…working and fixing things.

3. How am I like my Dad? I’m creative and make things and he makes stuff out of wood.

4. How am I not like my Dad? I don’t really like donuts. Too much sugar. They make my tummy hurt.

5. I know my Dad loves me because? Because he kisses me!

6. My Dad's favorite food is? Burritos! Tacos! Donuts!

7. At home, my Dad likes to? Work and build things.

8. Something funny about my Dad is? He’s bald.

9. My favorite memory with Dad is? Running together and going on dates together.

10. What I love most about my Dad. He’s the best!

Noelle

1. When I spend time with Dad, we like to? Play at the park!

2. Dad is really good at: working.

3. How am I like my Dad? We both have blue eyes. :)

4. How am I not like my Dad? He works really hard and all day.

5. I know my Dad loves me because? He takes care of me.

6. My Dad's favorite food is? DONUTS!

7. At home, my Dad likes to? Do projects.

8. Something funny about my Dad is? He made a joke at Church and instead of instead of saying “light” he said “shower” and all the primary kids laughed.

9. My favorite memory with Dad is? Going on birthday dates together!

10. What I love most about my Dad. He sings me songs when I go to bed!

Derek went ahead and wrote up his answers too ..

1. When I spend time with Dad, we like to? Play tennis. I remember inviting Dad to play and then driving around to find an open court and then begging for slurpees afterwards.

2. Dad is really good at? Digging. Family History. Kind of the same thing actually. :)

3. How am I like my Dad? We are both hard workers who love sports.

4. How am I not like my Dad? He’s thin. :)

5. I know my Dad loves me because? He always came to my games - even the away tennis matches and soccer games.

6. My Dad's favorite food is? Lasagna - the next day.

7. At home, my Dad likes to? Work in the yard and play with his grandkids.

8. Something funny about my Dad is? He can wear two button-down collared shirts at one time. I’ve never seen anyone else do that.

9. My favorite memory with Dad is? Him picking up trash while pushing me in the stroller. Wheelbarrow rides around the backyard. Teaching me to ride a bike.

10. What I love most about my Dad. He loves my Mom and puts her needs and wants first.

... and then Dad/LaMar wrote up about HIS dad (get to know Grandpa Westra by reading about him -  Joseph Ate's biography.) 

1. When I spend time with Dad, we like to? We would spend most Saturdays fishing. I remember especially Fish Lake, and the Uintahs.

2. Dad is really good at? He made lots of friends, he was a good Purchasing agent for the Granite School District.

3. How am I like my Dad? We both loved our wives, and our families.

4. How am I not like my Dad? My dad was overweight, and I am not.

5. I know my Dad loves me because? He would spend lots of time with me. We would go out at night and catch nightcrawlers for my business.

6. My Dad's favorite food is? Roast beef.

7. At home, my Dad likes to? Play basketball with me.

8. Something funny about my Dad is? He would always stick out his tongue when he was playing basketball.

9. My favorite memory with Dad is? Fishing on the far side of Fish Lake, wading out and casting for rainbow trout.

10. What I love most about my Dad? How he loved and cared for my mother, and our family.

Mom (Margie's) Memories

We have a life history that Mom/Margie wrote, covering her childhood and bit of the married years (History of Marjorie Norman Westra) but the recent memories from older family history (Grandma Olive's Childhood Memories, I Remember Mama/Dad, the latter delves into many of Grandma Lucille's childhood memories) inspired Mom to write up some more memories from her childhood, growing up in Murray, Utah  ... 

... and a few Disney-fied photos via Voila as our accompanying image.

Margie's Memories ...

• When we were little and playing at the house where my mom grew up "Up the Creek" as they referred to it... there was a little ditch in front of the house. My cousins and I would float little boats made of leaves and twigs. We would find dandelions with long stems and pick them at the bottom of the long stem. Then we would take a bobby pin/hairpin and take off the little rubber end so it was sharp----then we would use the sharp metal end to make slices down the long stem from the floor to the base of the stem. Then we would dip it into the cold ditch and all the little strips of stem would curl up tightly, up to the flower. 
• We had a field behind our lawn. We kids would have a bonfire and roast foil-wrapped potatoes in the coals and eat them with salt. Good we didn't set the field on fire---it sure wouldn't be allowed today!
• In this same field, with long grass/weeds with the soft tops (kids would chew on the sweet stems, like you see farmers doing in movies), we would stomp down some of the weeds flat and create rooms and doorways, like a playhouse. 
• We had a little ditch just beyond this field where we played. I remember when a little neighbor boy drowned in the ditch and how I felt so sick when I heard. Our parents in the neighborhood used to warn us little kids about the "greeny-teeth monster" to keep us away from the ditch.
• One time I was roasting a marshmallow on a stick and it caught on fire. I brought it up quickly to blow it out and hit my nose and the hot marshmallow stuck on my nose and burned it. For several years, in the summer, when I would go swimming, my nose would turn red and the kids would call me "Rudolph."
• Nelva used to hate having me tag along with her and her friends on bike rides, etc. So on streets away from our street, she would call them "kidnapper's lane" to scare me so I wouldn't follow them there.
• We had a small bike shed behind our garage (our 4568 Boxelder Street home in Murray) that my dad made. It had a slanted roof and room for about 3 bicycles. I can't remember if it even had a door. I remember one night, playing night games and hiding in the bike shed with a boy a couple years older than me and he kissed me.
• Behind the bike shed, we had a dug-out shelter where we stored our bottled fruit and such. Just dirt walls and a large lift-up trap door that you would lift up and hook it to hold it up while you went down the stairs. I hated to go down there with spiders, etc.!! The trap door was part of a building which had our playhouse above the cellar. We had a little play stove there, etc. I remember one time, as a mean prank, Nelva locked me in the playhouse. I was scared and afraid she would leave me there for hours or all night.
• We had a sand pile in front of the bike shed. When I was a little girl playing in the sand pile, a bee landed on me. I was very afraid of bees and spiders, etc.---hate them to this day! For months I would not go play in the sand pile wearing the same clothes I had been wearing that day---because I was afraid the bee would recognize me and sting me!
• A lot of fun without spending money. Very different from some of the kid's lives today.