Father's Day 2024

 

The annual Westra Father's Day gathering ... Scott and Amy hosted at the Old English address from 2006-2022 when they moved ... to the Hermitage House! 2023 Father's Day was held there. Check out all the Father'sDay Blog Posts!  For 2024, the group gathering shifted to the Highland House ...

Here's the email invitation ...

Hello Family!

It's that time of year again...time for the Westra Father's Day Party! Due to the renovation of Scott and Amy's yard, this year the party will be held at the Westra/Westra Headquarters in Highland:  Sunday, June 16, 5:30 pmYorkshire Ct

As always, the theme of the Father's Day Party is Food, Fun, & Family (insert audible "awwwwww" here.)

Let's talk about food:

BBQ: chicken, hot dogs

Sides: chips, fruit tray or fruit salad, veggie trays/salads, baked beans, pasta salad

Desserts: assorted variety of gluten free and gluten full goodies

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOUR FAMILY IS PLANNING TO BRING! You can reply to this email, text me (801-503-5024), hire a skywriter, send a carrier pigeon, or even *dramatic gasp* call me on the phone. 

Let's talk about fun:

9-square

Spike Ball

CanJam

Ladder Golf (aka golf shoes)

Axe Throwing

Trampolining

General Socializing

Let's talk about family:

PLEASE make sure your grown kids know the details! This is one of the 2 times a year we get a good sized group of us together...we'd love to see as much of the posterity of LaMar and Margie Westra as we can. We will be taking our Annual Father's Day Party Photo at some point during the evening as well.

FAQ's

• Where should I park? In the driveway or on the street in front of the house. 
• Should I come through the front door or around to the backyard? Either!
•  Do you need people to bring the games listed above? Nope! These are all games that we have here at Westra/Westra Headquarters.
• Can I bring an outdoor/card/board game that isn't listed above to play with extended family? Of course!
• I'm a single pringle...can I bring a +1? Only if you are willing to be responsible for any & all speculation that happens afterwards. 
• Oh no! I have tickets to see Taylor Swift that evening! Should I go to the concert or come to the Father’s Day Party? The obvious answer is to bring Tay-tay as your +1.

Excited to see you all on Father’s Day!

Love, the 2024 planning committee (aka Alicia & Shane)

**************************************** 

 There was yummy food ...

... and lots of games and socializing 

Here's a little LIVE action

https://youtu.be/90OhN2z_xbk

... until next year!

New Havenmoor

The June 2022 Father's Day at Scott and Amy's house was the last one at the Old English address ... they then moved to the Haven Moor House. The folks were shifting to the G-Suite in Shane and Alicia's new build in Alpine.  While there have been posts on The Hermitage House and the Homes  Before Hermitage, there has yet to be a Haven Moor post featuring the LaMar/Margie years there. These pictures taken April 2023 show the "after" Scott and Amy came in and made the home their own.

Still getting the master suite finished up ...

... Scott and Amy moved into the lower level after their home sold, but before the folks had moved into their new place. Nice full kitchen downstairs now.

Storytime with Margie ~ Corduroy

 While audiobooks are common place today, once upon a time, they were called "Books on Tape" and they were actually ON a cassette tape. Many libraries had little bags that contained the a book, and a cassette tape with the story. You had to provide your own tape player. 

In the Westra household, there was also storytime/reading aloud. At some point, Mom/Margie made some "books on tape" and in the present day, those tapes have been digitized. Now, in today's world, there are already several versions of Corduroy being read on YouTube ... but here for the Westra audience, we have Mom/Margie as the narrator, with the pictures added to follow along. 

https://youtu.be/fJKXh5t8PGk?si=6aM-aLkUiNIV_yHP

While at this point, the kids and grandkids are probably past the Corduroy age audience ... the original Westra six would probably get a kick out of hearing "mom" read a story again, and the latest generation could hear great-grandma read a bedtime story. 

The book IS still being published and is available for purchase today. It's a classic! There's even a set that comes with a little bear, and there are some sequels I didn't know were out there. So hopefully the original six siblings enjoy this reminder of reading time in the Hermitage House with Mom ♥

Annual Westra Christmas Newsletter 2023

 

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.

Westra Calendar ~ Sneak Peek

The annual Westra calendar ... while it is for 2024, all the pictures are from 2023 (with a few holiday holdovers from 2022), so on the blog, this is more of a 2023 recap, and this is where it will be placed. The calendars themselves will (hopefully) be proudly displayed the various Westra homes ...

A collage of each family ... these will be included on the "annual newsletter" post also. 

Calendar pages are generally grouped into a "theme" for the month  ... bundled up/cold for January, pink/love for February ... the Jensen "Mother's Day Tea" dress up SHOULD go in May, but matched a little better with the other dress-up/costumes in October.  The eclipse happened in October 2023, but was placed in April 2024, as that's when the next one is up (and I didn't see the picture of Jaiden in eclipse glasses until after the collage was complete and uploaded ... I'm sure there are other pictures that would have fit perfectly in other sections that I missed too. Hopefully they make it into the slideshow compilation correctly). Events ... birthdays, weddings, holidays were hopefully slipped into the correct monthly collage. Also, tried to make sure every family was featured in each month.

Here's to making memories ... and capturing them on camera in 2024!

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Photos with the folks ...

Thanksgiving 2023

 

On Thanksgiving Day ... Derek started up a family text thread requesting pictures. Ironically, Wendy didn't get around to sharing there, but she wins for the most Thanksgiving pictures! Cute ones too! So we'll start this blog post with a collage of lying in the leaves ... a great autumn tradition!

Great photo of Scott's family ... if you look, you can see "Mom and Dad's" Havenmoor House bones there, but S&A have made it their own, and it looks great! The dining room was the location of the Thanksgiving feast. Christmas tree is up there in the background. 

... and putting together a puzzle before the Thanksgiving meal.

Chris's crew had an early Thanksgiving meal on Sunday (Nov19) and invited Mom&Dad to join them there. Then Chris and Kim took off for a hiking trip, spending the Thanksgiving holiday at the Glen Canyon Dam. 

In addition to the fun leaf pictures, 

Wendy created a collage of their mealtime gathering.

Looks like they got the complete crew, sans Jaiden (on her mission in Mongolia).  Wendy did a complete write-up on her family blog, so read all about it HERE. 

Meanwhile ... there was a gathering in West Jordan.

The Blackham family hosted and had the folks over, and Gray's two sisters and two nephews. It was a fairly full house. One turkey smoked, one oven-roasted, a honey-baked ham, mashed taters and gravy, stuffing, rolls (orange rolls, dinner rolls and Brazilian Cheese rolls), basil carrots, corn, jello cubes, a cheese ball and crackers ... lots of desserts too, including the annual "turkey cookies" and Grandma Norman's Cool Whip Dessert (one pan made with a gluten-free crust for Grandpa). Everyone got sent home with some leftovers. 

Shane and Alicia dined with the Greens, then hopped on a plane for some Thanksgiving travel.

... and the photo that started it all ...

What a cute crew!

Grateful that Derek thought to start a family text requesting photos ... and that we got pictures from everyone! Fun to see how each family celebrates, what groups gather and where, what everyone eats. 2023 preserved in pictures here on the blog, and in the family Dropbox.

Check out some past Thanksgiving celebrations that made it onto the blog ... happy to have another post to add to our THANKSGIVING tag ...

• Thanksgiving 2014  - A Westra Thanksgiving
• Turkey Time - A look at some turkey stuff (not stuffing)

As the first picture in the post was of leaves ... check out the Lots of Leaves post with more Westra leaf pictures over the years. The September 2022 calendar page also showcased some leaves and fall fun.  You can see more autumn colors on the Blackham Blog (2014, 2022).

Thanksgiving is the "due date" for the photos for the family calendar. Work on it is getting started so that it will be ready for Christmas. There have been some lovely leaf photos shared ... this post might need to be updated with more leaf pictures from 2023. 

If it's not too late (there has been some snow) ... take some leaf pictures!

Church History Tour

This week was the Westra church history tour with the cousins! The trip had been planned for months and all of the participants did quite a bit of homework and lesson planning for it. Those involved were Rick, Me (Wendy), Derek, Josh, Jenna, Cayson, Rella, and Ani. Unfortunately, I caught Covid from Janelle (who caught it from her FSY roommate) and wasn't able to go. I started getting sick on June 23rd, and so I thought for sure I would be completely better by the time our trip was starting on July 4th. But the weekend before we were planning to go I was still very sick with non-stop coughing. So, I had to pull out of the trip. That was disappointing, but I was glad that everyone else was able to go! Each of the kids wrote a short overview for the trip, starting with Jenna...

Jenna - July 4th Overview: 

The Fourth of July was a very exciting day. Me, Josh, and dad left the day before for Vegas and stayed the night in a hotel. Then we woke up that morning at 4:00 a.m. and we were so tired, but we left for the airport then got checked in and waited for the plane to come. After we got on the plane to Texas. I slept most of the way, which felt so nice, haha.

Then we got off in the Texas airport waiting for our next flight, but here is where we met up with the Westras and we got some cheese cubes then went back on another plane headed to New York. When we got there it was so weird. It did not feel like a new state, but the difference was that the humidity was way stronger then in St. George, and I didn't like that feeling. We ate at Olive Garden that night for dinner then headed over to Canada and it was so pretty and green, but with such tall buildings.

We got a hotel for the night and then we went to Niagara Falls and saw the waterfalls and they were so pretty. We also looked around the gift shops and stuff and then once it got dark the fireworks started. It was nothing that crazy, but still fun to watch. I think that is a great place for tourists to visit, though I wouldn't want to stay for more than one day. After the show was over we walked home and it felt great outside, but a little cold because we stopped for ice cream and the deals were horrible on the ice cream. I got a small one for $8.00 but it was still good haha then we left for the hotel and we all just went right to bed because we were all so tired from the day and that was the first day of the tour so far it has been great!!

Rella -July 5th Overview:

We woke up around 8:30, packed, and checked out of our hotel. We put our bags in the car, then walked over to the area where we would get on a tour boat to take us around Niagara Falls! They took our picture in front of a green screen which they would replace with a picture of the falls, then gave us all red ponchos. Then we got on the boat, where we stood on the upper level, and started going closer to the falls. It was so pretty, but we got really wet because of the mist. After that we were offered our previous photo for 50 dollars, which we declined, and we headed to a gift shop where a few of us bought matching jackets.

Next we walked to a buffet for brunch, and on the way we passed lots of interesting shops, restaurants, and even amusement park rides and attractions! Then we went to the buffet, where Uncle Derek paid for the drinks because they cost extra. After that we walked back to the car and drove back across the border to New York, then kept driving to Palmyra! We stopped first at the Hill Cumorah, where we stopped at the visitor center, then hiked up the hill where we got eaten by mosquitoes.

After that we went back to the visitor center where we sang praise to the man (we compared the lyrics to Moroni’s journey), Jenna and Rick told stories about some of their ancestors, and then we wrote in our journals.

------

• Notes from Derek: Ani is writing in her journal and proudly told me that she already wrote 4 pages! 😊 It’s been an incredible experience so far, and the cousins’ bonding has been really cute and fun to see!
• I’ll also document a few favorite quotes along the way. “So, a calzone is basically a bigger hot pocket.” –Josh
• Tender Mercies for today: Rick had been unable to get an appointment for the temple. He tried calling them several times and they never answered. So, he decided to “stop by” and see if he could set up an appointment for tomorrow. They said, “why don’t you come right now!” Everyone was in their street clothes, but they welcomed them anyway!

Ani - July 6 Overview:

Today I woke up to the noise of the shower. I sit up and look around and I see Jenna and Rella sleeping. My dad was taking an early shower. I got up and remembered that I needed to wash my hair. I didn’t want to get out of the bed because I didn’t want to leave the warmth of my bed. But my dad woke us up, so I got up fast to take a shower.

We had to wake up at 7 because we had to be out of the hotel by 8. I took a shower and after I finished my shower I got dressed and went downstairs. For breakfast I had toast with honey and orange juice, then I got to the car.

We started driving to the Sacred Grove and when we got there we went on a trail and all the cousins sat on a bench and we talked about how this was the place where a 14-year-old boy had a question. Then we all got up to find a peaceful area to ponder and write in our journals. When we all found a spot it was quiet but the buzzing of the bugs made it hard to concentrate. But when you didn’t focus on the bugs it felt peaceful and quiet.

It was cool to know that Heavenly Father and Jesus appeared to Joseph Smith. When we all prayed and thought about where we were we went to the Joseph Smith Family home where Moroni visited him. The missionaries talked about how Joseph smith and his family and how he had to sleep in a room with his 5 brothers. It was a very cool experience to see where Joseph Smith had stood before.

After that we drove to the Whitmer Farm where Joseph Smith did a lot of the translation of the Book of Mormon. They told us that only a few could see the plates. This is where the 3 and 8 witnesses saw the plates.

Then we drove to Harmony, Pennsylvania where we saw where the priesthood was restored to the Earth, and where John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey, and ordained them to the Priesthood. That’s where Cayson taught his lesson. Then we drove to Ohio and ate at a grocery store and Applebees in New York!

Cayson - July 7 Overview: 

Last night, we got in very late, so we slept in a little this morning and had a complimentary breakfast at the hotel. The first site that we saw today was historic Kirtland, we had the privilege of having some Sister Missionaries guide us through the buildings. We toured the Newell K. Whitney store, Newell K. Whitney's house, the John Johnson Hotel, the Sawmill, and the Ash House. Some of these buildings were recreations, and some original.

We also were able to tour the Kirtland Temple, which is owned by the Community of Christ. We explored the museum they have about the Temple and walked through the entire Temple with an older couple guiding us. This couple was LDS, but the Community of Christ has been inviting them and 3 other LDS couples to help with tours of the Temple in Kirtland.

For a treat, we all went to the Kirtland Creamery, and got some amazing ice cream. We are staying in the same hotel as we did last night.

Note from Derek: Seeing the bonding between these cousins has been really sweet and rewarding. They are like BFF's in their matching jackets (Ani got a hoodie instead). They have been getting along SO well and it's been an amazing experience!

Derek posted a picture with the caption: Good looking group of proud Canadians! 🤣

Josh - July 8 Overview:

The last day we visited the place where Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered. It was a very nice house and he lived there for a while and received many revelations, including the plan of salvation. That was a good experience and we sang, "I Am a Child of God," in the room where he received the revelation. The Sister Missionaries were great, and it was a very spiritual experience. After that we just traveled to the airport where we split up and traveled home!

(Derek also sent a couple of texts with pictures from the last day that I will include here):

These are the steps where an angry mob burst through the door in the middle of a March night and ripped Joseph Smith out of his bed, and tarred and feathered him. He preached a sermon the very next morning and baptized three people. (We also saw) the room where Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon saw a three-hour vision about eternal progression, which taught about the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms of glory.

We said goodbye to the Jensens and parted ways at the Cleveland airport, where the Jensens would fly directly to Vegas and the Westras would fly to Chicago and then to SLC!

Letter from Jenna to Grandma and Grandpa Westra:

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

Thank you so much for making it possible for us to go on this church history tour, it was such an incredible experience and I will never forget it! I am so happy that during this trip I was able to grow closer to all of the cousins around my age on the trip. It was so much fun and I feel like a different person.

At the beginning we learned about the 5 parts to a testimony. They were to have faith in our Heavenly Father, to know Jesus Christ and trust in him, believe in all that happened to Joseph Smith, and understand the importance of his role, to know that the book of Mormon is the word of God, and lastly to know that there is a prophet on this earth today and to listen to the words he has said.

By the end of the trip we were asked to write in our journals all the areas where we think our testimony grew and I wrote that I know my testimony is stronger overall, but the places that have really made a difference was having faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ because of all the personal experiences I had when we could just go off on our own and write our feelings and pray in such a beautiful environment. I realized lots of things about myself and I feel as though I finally know how I can start gathering Israel and become a better disciple of Jesus Christ and I now want to get my patriarchal blessing to have more of that guidance and revelation from God because it truly is a blessing.

Another part of my testimony that increased greatly was my knowledge of Joseph Smith, and having that opportunity to go to those places where all those incredible visions and revelations and trials happened, it was really amazing. Some of those stories I have never even heard of, but all the things that we read and watched for points really was a good way to prepare for the trip and everything kind of just came together and made sense.

The last part of my testimony that grew was on the Book of Mormon and that was what my topic for my lesson was on and getting to share our ancestors' conversion story with that incredible book was so amazing. I was so grateful and I began to realize how important this book really is and how studying it can help you through out all of your trials as you go through life. Back in 1830 people would save up all their earnings to afford this book and now days I have begun to realize how much I take this book that will lead me back to my Heavenly Father for granted, so overall this experience was so good for me and I have just learned so much and I can't wait to go next year to learn about all the rest of incredible things that happened.

So, thank you so much, Grandma and Grandpa I really appreciate it!!!

Love Jenna