2014 Christmas Letter

The original 2014 PDF is available in Dropbox.

Thanksgiving 2014

 

Scott doesn't write family emails often, but when he does, they are always enjoyable. The invitation to Thanksgiving November of 2014 was no exception:

Family:

We have invited mom and dad to our home for Thanksgiving dinner. You and any of your families are also welcome to come. We aren't sure of the time yet but probably in the afternoon. Pilgrim, Indian or football attire is optional but welcome.

We regret that due to liability and health reasons, the previously contemplated "Turkey Bowl" will not take place this year.. However, we will provide a (totally optional) leaf raking activity prior to dinner for those who want to burn off some calories prior to or after feasting. We promise to have football playing on one TV with Pocahontas and Pocahontas 2, alternating on the other.

We understand you have other [less fun and attractive] relations that you have to keep happy and will certainly understand if you cannot attend. However, please let us know either way by November 19th. You can still show up on Thanksgiving but those who have not met the RSVP deadline may be eating frozen pizza.

Thankfully yours,

Scott and Amy

Shane's reply kept up the fun...

Dear Scott - We appreciate the offer, and after much deliberation, we would like to RSVP in the affirmative; at least until a better offer comes along. As it would be rude to come empty-handed, we will gladly bring three whiny children. We will also contribute to the caloric intake by bringing some dessert, namely two or three pies in any of the following varieties: Apple, Pumpkin, Peach-Blueberry, Cow, and Chart. A gluten-free dessert will also be provided, in the form of leftover Halloween Smarties ®. Best regards, Shane and family.

Shane and Alicia and their three kids DID attend, so I guess no better offers came along ;) Chris and Kim and the three youngest Westra kids also attended, so it was a pretty full Westra group gathering, and there were even photos taken to preserve the memory. Yeah! Mom wrote in an email afterward:

We had a delightful time at Scott and Amy's. Dinner was delicious! We all enjoyed visiting with family. The cousins had lots of fun together. Chris and Kim brought lots of bottles of Martinelli's sparkling cider--a Taylor tradition. Some of us went for a walk after dinner to try to make room for pie! Shane & Alicia made 4 different kinds of pie, plus a gluten-free chocolate cake, and some gingersnaps. We were too stuffed to do them justice, but will enjoy some leftovers today! Amy and clan had made homemade rolls and homemade cranberry sauce, plus all the other yummy foods! We appreciate their hosting the event--it is always a big undertaking! Shane & Alicia and kids headed off to Midway for an overnighter. That is their new Thanksgiving tradition. This is their 3rd year.

Chris wrote ...

Kim and I took Corin, Camden, and Cayson to Scott and Amy's house in Draper and were joined by Mom and Dad and Shane and Alicia and their family. We had a great meal and then just sat and visited, and the cousins had fun playing outside and all around the house. I got to wrestle with Calder - that boy laughs more than any kid I know. 

 

Dinners Out

(This post will be backdated to November 2014)

With Mom/Margie and Dad/LaMar's annual Christmas gift of "dinners out" with the kids, there were likely many times different families got together to chat and eat throughout 2014. Often when an outing was suggested by one couple, others were invited too. Come if you can. Pictures help preserve those gatherings into memory! Take pictures! More photos were found after this post originally went up (and out in email) so it has been updated.

McGraths in May

Here, it was October 30 - notice the skeleton shirt on Cooper. Red Robin ... Yum.

Yeah to Gray for thinking to grab a photo!

In addition to dinner, D&D were also bringing out Mom and Dad's new cell phone. Landon was working up that way, so he stopped on the way home from work (and then went over to Grandma and Grandpa's house afterward and help get the new phone connected to their home network). Jen couldn't make it, needing to get Callahan and Keaton to/from basketball, but Gray and the two little boys went out. Jen sent the game "Spot It" with them, and Mom said that was a good activity while waiting for food and for the cousins to interact.

There had been another Red Robin gathering in July (Shane&Alicia, Derek&Danielle, Mom&Dad and Jen ... the rest of the Blackhams were in Seattle). Originally no pictures were found, but then a photo popped up (see that post here). 

Not long after that, there was another "come one come all" call for Mom/Margie's birthday.

Mom and Dad had gone out Wednesday night to McGrath's with her siblings to celebrate her birthday. Thursday, Scott and Amy took the folks out to lunch. Friday was out to Blue Lemon (not so much Mom's birthday as Layla's sealing/blessing, see that picture below). So, Jen suggested Saturday. Wendy was in town, and Chris said he and Kim could come. 

Blue Lemon - November 2014

Westras I spy ... D&Ds family (obviously), LaMar, McKenna, Scott, Kim, Chris, Wendy, Mom, Shane and Alicia. Is that Amy next to Scott (behind Dad/Derek)?

Checking old emails and journal entries ... WHERE we went wasn't recorded. 

Asian Star seems to stick in my mind. 

 

GOOD Times & GRANDkids

In July of 2014, Shane and Alicia went on trek. That's quite an adventure. Mom/Margie and Dad/Lamar got grandparent duty, taking care of Shane and Alicia's three ... plus Taylee, because if you already have a few, what's one more?

Here's Mom's recap (email) ...

Mon. night Shane and Alicia picked up Taylee and we all had a good roast beast dinner. Taylee stayed for the first 2 nights. All the kids were very well behaved and had a fun time. Each morning after breakfast, we all went for an hour or so morning swim at the pool. We usually had it to ourselves and it is delightful that time of day when half of the pool is in the shade. After putting Calder to bed each night, Dad took the girls about 9:15 to a nighttime swim, with the underwater lights, until he closed it at 10 or so.

Dad took the kids fishing one day. It is the first time he has caught anything with the grandkids this year at that pond. They were little--about 3-4 inches, but still fun. Taylee got 6, Adria 2, and Rella 1. They put all 9 in a bucket of water and brought them home to our pond.

He took the 3 girls to All a Dollar and let them spend $2 each.

The 3 girls made jello, creating masterpiece parfaits with various layers of fruit.

Taylee got picked up Wednesday afternoon for a lesson she had scheduled.

Wednesday evening, Alicia's Dad and Julie picked up the three kids to give us a couple hours break and took them to hike around Silver Lake. They saw a moose about 15-20 feet away and other wildlife. Thurs. evening they picked them up again to spend two hours at Murray park. I packed them a picnic dinner since they were coming straight from work. 

 Dad and the girls did a bit of tennis yesterday, but it was sooo hot, they couldn't last long.

Not mentioned in the letter, but captured in the photo at top, are the girls with "Chip" man. 

This was not the first time Grandpa had helped with such a creation. 

Here's a glance back at little Keaton in 2007 with "Coin" man!

July was apparently quite the month for grandparent time. Earlier in the month, there was another email from Mom/Margie recounting time with the Jensen kids visiting ...

Rick and Jaiden and Josh are on their way home. We had a good time. It was nice to have just the 2 kids, to give them more one-on-one attention, without them having to compete with their siblings to be heard. Grandpa was a trooper. Fri. night he took them to Dicks Sporting Goods and bought 2 new fishing poles (since he only had one working one). Then he took them to the dollar store and gave them each $2 to spend. Then they went swimming from about 9:15 to 10. The stake president's daughter and friends were swimming and using glow sticks and gave them one.

This morning after breakfast, he took them fishing---Jaiden caught a duck on her fishing pole, when he took the bait! They got him released. No fish though! They wanted to work for money while here, but all their time was taken up with fun stuff. They are good ages, 8 and 10, and can get so thrilled and excited over small things---such as stopping at a park on the way and eating out at Carl Jr. All too soon, they will be older and not care about visiting grandparents any more.

Remember we are not great at instigating things, but will show the kids a good time while they are with us, while they are ages that still want to come (they had to pay their dad 40 tickets each to come).

Josh asked me this morning, "What do you and Grandpa DO when we're not here!"
Well, Josh, we just sit and stare at the walls--------we hope it doesn't really come to that some day!)

It reminded me of when Wendy was little and we had just paid the baby sitter and taken her home. Wendy said "Did you pay her money?" I said "Yes." Wendy: "Well, SHE should pay US, because she got to come here and have fun!"

One time when Kellen and Kemery were about 8 and 10 maybe and we were tending them...we were busy bottling peaches. I had them load peaches in the bottles, round side up, with a slotted spoon. I said, if you will just help us load this batch of bottles, then Grandpa will take you to play tennis. They enjoyed the canning so much, one said, "If we will go play tennis with Grandpa, then can we load some more bottles!" A reversal of which was work and which was the reward!

We've got to get these cute sayings put in our Dropbox Family History project before we forget them.

... there is a folder in Dropbox, but there's also a page on this blog that features many of the funny sayings and such over the years. Check out the Collection of Cute Quotes! If you have new ones you want added, include them in your family emails and I'll try to stick them in, or email them to me (Jen) directly.  

Mom and Dad watched the Jensen kids again at the end of the month while Wendy and Rick celebrated their 20th anniversary, staying at the Anniversary Inn and seeing "Wicked". There was a big Red Robin gathering while they were there, meeting Shane&Alicia, D&D and Jen too (the rest of the Blackhams were in Seattle). 

In Wendy's Jensen Journal blog post about their trip up, she wrote:

 "My mom had invited Shane and Alicia's girls, Adria and Rella, to sleepover too so that the cousins could play together. She said that they got a little rambunctious! The kids must have played hard while we were gone because after we got home Jenna lay her head on the table and fell asleep!" 

Father's Day 2014

As is Father's Day tradition around here, we went to Scott and Amy's house for the annual Father's Day barbecue. I brought jello cubes and Chex mix ... I ate way too much of the Chex mix. We take the annual Father's Day photo with everyone. We try to get a couple "good" photos, then a "funny face" one ... I guess Jared didn't get the message that this photo wasn't a funny face photo!

I thought it would be good to take a picture with Dad and us six kidlets. I can't remember if we've ever done that. It turned into quite the production, with so many camera's taking pictures, and of course Grayson always makes everyone (especially Derek) laugh. My oldest brother, my youngest brother and my hubby ... I swear it's a competition to see who can have the shortest hair (I think Derek wins, as he actually bics it).

It was a fun day of family, photos, food ... and Fitbits! That's what Mom got Dad for Father's Day. Many in the family have them now (Callahan just got his) and so there was a lot of Fitbit talk as well.

Gray posted a sweet tribute to Dad on Facebook ... this is what he said:

My father-in-law’s name is Lamar but I’ve only always known him as dad. Here are a few random recollections:

• In the 90’s he would obtain a yearly “rock permit” allowing him to bring rock down from Big Cottonwood Canyon. Each year, armed with a wheelbarrow, shovel and a truck we would haul load after load down to the house. Those rocks now adorn and comprise the sandbox, the cellar, walkways and, of course, the fountain and pond. He gives new meaning to “the wise man built his house upon a rock” or perhaps “this wise man built the rocks around his house."

• I’ve never met anyone as passionate about and committed to compost. Whether it is the Cool Whip container next to the kitchen sink or the 4’ deep pit in the yard, organic material and scrap does not go wasted in this household. I see now where Jen gets her aversion to waste.

• Dad (and mom) will be my lifelong excuse for NOT doing genealogical work. There doesn’t seem to be an aspect of genealogy and the technologies available that dad isn’t conversant in. I remember getting my first iPad years ago and he and I had a discussion about the iPad, centered around its suitability (or lack thereof) for use in family history work. I must confess that his sometimes passionate and highly detailed explanations on the ins and outs of family history work may be lost on me. I have not been a quick study. 

• I’ve heard him speak over and over again, in glowing terms about the doings and accomplishments of his grandchildren. He seems to be one of their biggest fans. He is quiet, and gentle and giving…and I am a better person for having known him. 

Dad, thanks for all…I hope it’s a good day.

Brazilian Cheese Rolls (Pao De Queijo)

Who discovered this recipe first? Jen's family found it when one of the boys had to make a recipe for his Spanish class (I know, these are BRAZILIAN). Shane and Derek went to Brazil and got the authentic experience there. Several Westra households make these little rolls now. What's doubly nice about them, is that they are GLUTEN-FREE, which is a huge plus with Celiac persons around (although non-celiac people really like them too!)

They use Tapioca flour - it can be a little hard to find, but it's around. This recipe is so simple, it's really just a batter poured into mini-muffin tins.

Ingredients

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan* cheese

Extra salt/cheese to sprinkle on top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°. Place egg, milk and oil in blender and pulse. Add flour and salt and blend until smooth. Add cheese and pulse two times (don't overmix). Pour into mini-muffin tins  (non-stick spray is recommended), about 3/4 full. Sprinkle a bit of cheese and salt on the tops. Bake for 15-ish minutes until puffy and golden. Serve warm. 

*As Grandpa would say "par-a-me-ceim cheese" --- ewwwwww

Any stories/photos featuring Brazilian Cheese Rolls?

Easter 2014

 Got Eggs?

Easter at the Westras! Easter was April 20 this year. The family party was held the day before on Saturday. Looks like we were missing Scott's family and the Jensens... but still, gotta make sure there were enough eggs for everyone. They were hidden, then ... the HUNT!

... and then the haul!

 ... I think a couple of the boys enjoyed the foam stickers!

We got some funny bunny pictures ...

 ... and in bunny fashion, there was some jumping. Jumping rope! Grayson had a new phone/camera and caught some of these cool shots. We've had some Westra jump rope before (check out Cookies and Cousins  ... Ani has grown up a bit since then!)

That evening, as the Blackham's were winding down, they felt the house shake ... it was an earthquake. 3.2 in Tooele. Checking with the folks, they hadn't felt it.  Foreshadowing ... everyone would feel it in 2020!