Cousin Time!!

 One of the best things about Christmas Break is Cousin Time!! 

Layla made this darling picture for Jaiden! It is Jaiden as Spongebob with Layla! So cute!! 

New Home Owners!! Janika and Brandon

Janika and Brandon FINALLY closed on their new home in Pleasant Grove on May 13th. They have been living with Brandon's sister and her husband and their three cute kids the past few months while their town home was being built. Jase and Ellen, Jared, and Janelle left Thursday afternoon to head to Pleasant Grove. They dropped Janelle off to Janika and Brandon to help paint that night. Friday morning Jase and Jared met at the new home to help Janika and Brandon paint. Brandon's parents also spent the day painting. 

Rick, me, Josh, and Jenna headed up Friday afternoon. Jaiden stayed home since she had to work both Friday and Saturday night. We had to wait until Josh finished his AP Chinese Test. I also had a doctor's appointment with my OB and Jenna had a get together with friends after school at Brinkley's house. We finally got out the door around 3:30. They ended up finishing with the painting before we arrived and so we ended up going to Ellen's family's house for a BBQ. It was fun to visit with them. The last time we were there was when Jase and Ellen got married last year on March 14, 2020. We had learned about the upcoming school closures due to Covid while on route to the wedding. That was such a crazy time! 

After the BBQ we went to my mom and dad's for the night and then next morning we headed to Bountiful to meet everyone at Brandon's parent's house (where they had been storing most of their furniture and things while living with Heather and Adam). We loaded up the U-Haul -- which was generously provided by Shane Turner. It was a big U-Haul and only ended up being filled about halfway. I guess it is better to have too much room than not enough! 

After loading the truck Janika and the girls and I went to Costco so that Janika could use my membership card to buy a bunch of supplies for the new home. Brandon drove the U-Haul to their new home and everyone unloaded everything. It is very nice! They are excited to finally be home-owners! Rick, me, Josh, Jenna, and Janelle went to Shane and Alicia's house for a very nice lunch and the kids were able to play for a bit. We left Jenna to sleep over so that she could have more cousin-time and then Jase and Ellen and Jared picked her up on their way home. Jared went to a Bachelor's party Saturday night for his former missionary companion, Joshua Bell, and stayed over with him that night. 

The rest of us headed back home. It was a quick trip but we were happy to be able to help Janika and Brandon a little and we were also able to see family and friends! It was fun! 

And some other cute pictures of Janika and Brandon with Taylor and Peyton...

Some pics with the cousins while we were there... (Rella and Josh measuring at the same height, ha ha!)

Jared and the boys at Joshua Bell's Bachelor Party...

 

Easter 2021

 April 2: We were looking forward to the Westras coming for Easter weekend and so we were nervous when Jenna started throwing up Thursday night! She seemed to be doing better by Friday afternoon and Westras still decided to come. Friday night I had an interpreting job and Josh had a soccer game. We didn't go to this one since it was thirty minutes away and we had other commitments. We had enjoyed going to all of his home games though! The Westras arrived later -- around 9:00. Both Jaiden and Janelle were at work. We visited and got the beds set up for the kids. 

April 3: This morning we watched General Conference and Josh refereed some games in St. George. I had received a text from Suzy's Closet in Hurricane saying that they were having a big clearance sale. Suzy's Closet in the little shop that sells prom dresses out of their home. We decided it would be fun to check it out. So me and Alicia and Adria, Rella, and Jaiden drove out and tried on dozens of dresses. Jaiden ended up buying one for only $15.00! 

We finished watching conference and the kids had a "taste test" with a variety of Easter candy that Alicia had brought. Then we ate a yummy dinner of grilled hamburgers and side dishes and then those who were available watched the Priesthood Session.  

April 4: This morning we did Easter baskets and had our traditional Conference Crepes (cooked by Rick)! Jase and Ellen and Jared came for the Crepes. 

When the kids lined up I said, "Wow, can you imagine having that many kids?" Shane said, "You DO have that many kids!" "Oh, ya, I guess I do, ha ha!" Rella found this rubber shark head and made the shark center-piece with goldfish crackers on the "ocean."

In the church news there was a photo of this family all dressed in their Sunday clothes attentively watching conference. The caption said, "Send us pictures of your family watching conference." I thought, "I don't think they would want our pictures!" (No church clothes -- Jared sleeping, Jase and Ellen cuddling, the kids in their make-shift beds...) The kids played a couple rounds of croquet in between sessions. 

The kids also dyed eggs at our house today. We were going to do our annual egg bash, but had a photoshoot planned instead and so we ran out of time! The next day Jenna and Rella were invited to dye eggs with some friends the old fashioned Swiss way -- with roots, flowers, leaves, onion skin, beets, etc. This is a big tradition here in Santa Clara!  

After conference we had a lovely Easter dinner of ham, cheesy potatoes, asparagus, corn, salad, Brazilian cheese rolls (thank you Alicia!), and regular rolls. Then we had strawberry shortcake for dessert! Alicia had made a regular cake and also gluten free cake! Yum! 

Sunday evening Alicia did a photoshoot of Jaiden and Janelle. We wanted to get a few more headshots of Jaiden and some more Senior shots of Janelle -- including some in her cap and gown. Photos to come! Adria came and watched and so I took a few of her and Jaiden while we were waiting...

After we got back we had an Easter Egg hunt! Jaiden and Adria hid the eggs for the rest of the kids. 

After the hunt we gathered everyone together and went around the room and let everyone share one of their favorite talks from General Conference. We had a nice discussion! 

April 5: This morning Jaiden and Adria went on a double date. They went hiking up Snow Canyon and took a bunch of pictures and then they came back here and attempted to paint one of their pictures!  It was beautiful weather! I don't have Alicia and Lane's photos from their photoshoot, but I asked Jaiden to send me the ones on her phone of her and Josh (Larkin). 

                                            This must be the picture they tried to paint...

I thought we made it through the weekend without anyone else getting sick, but unfortunately Janelle started throwing up this morning! Ugh!! She called in sick and pretty much kept sequestered to her room all day! 

Rick, Alicia, and I took Jaiden to the new Contact Climbing Gym in order to borrow their Yoga studio to record Jaiden's talent number for the Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Competition. It took about an hour and about ten takes, but we finally got a few good takes to choose from and her talent number turned out really well. I would send it to the family, but I think we are supposed to wait until after the actual showcase before having people watch it. 

Jaiden had dance tonight and the Westras went for a little hike. Tonight we watched the movie, "While You Were Sleeping." 

April 6: The kids all headed back to school (except Janelle -- she only went for her last period since she was feeling better by then) and the Westras packed up and headed back home. It was a wonderful Easter break -- I am glad that we had family to share it with!! 

Christmas Break Getaway

Over Christmas Break I decided to bring some of the kids up North to go visit their cousins and grandparents. Janelle had to work and Josh didn't want to go, so it ended up just being me and Jaiden and Jenna. We had a fun time! Janika and Brandon had been with us since our Christmas Eve and were also leaving St. George today to head back up North. We left a couple of hours before them. We got caught in a snow storm between Cedar City and Beaver and so that was a little disconcerting. I hate driving in the snow! Thankfully the storm didn't continue much past Beaver and the rest of the way was fine. We arrived at Shane and Alicia's and the kids were all excited to see each other! Calder was disappointed that Josh hadn't come though! 

The kids played and Shane and Alicia fixed us a yummy dinner and then we watched the "12 Dates of Christmas," which has become a tradition with these cousins! It really is a great movie! We have seen this movie several times, but this is the first time we noticed that they had a quick little clip for each part of the song, "12 Days of Christmas." For example "2 turtle doves" had two kids running down the street in what looked like bird costumes. So we had fun paying attention and watching for the next line of the song to be incorporated into the movie. The next day the kids went on a "hike" and came back with muddy boots. It was a quick visit and the kids were sad to leave and so Alicia said that she might be able to bring her kids up to Grandma Westra's house when we went there in a day or so.

Early Easter -- Cousin Sleepover!!

I pulled this post from The Westra Way blog that my sister Jeni put together in 2020. I looked to see if I had any of these pictures or journal entries in this blog but couldn't find anything! So I am glad that my sister documented this fun outing so that I could include it here!! 

Wendy's kids were off for Spring Break, and Jaiden and Janelle came up to Salt Lake with Rick - he had some plans, and they got to play with cousins and Grandma and Grandpa. It was a couple weeks before Easter, but as the Jensen crew wouldn't be able to come up to the family party in a few weeks, Grandpa did an early Easter, and a photoshoot! Here's exerpts from the March 11 email Mom sent out  telling about their time together...

Rick came Sat. and dropped his girls off at Alicia's to sleepover and go to Primary. Then Shane and Alicia brought the 4 girls here Sun. at 5:30. We fixed a salmon dinner. Rella decided to stay over after all.  Alicia let both her girls miss school today in order to play with their cousins they don't get to see often. They've had a great time. Rick slept here both nights and had some enjoyable visits with old friends Sat. night and Sunday afternoon and evening. He attended Sacrament meeting with us. Taylee's family had too busy of a schedule this weekend for her to join the cousins this time around.

LaMar got the good idea to have an early Easter egg hunt for them, while J and J were here. So they loaded their own eggs and LaMar hid them in the front yard--the back yard is still wet and some snow. They hung a few eggs from the trees for decoration. Adria and Rella didn't have coats and Rella had on a dress, so it is good it was sunny and fairly warm. They were delighted to watch the squirrel and each wanted to name him (a different name, of course). So he now has 3 names. Janelle didn't come out to see him.

Funny Janelle! She was telling me yesterday about the maturation program she attended at school on Friday. Today she was sitting on the couch and said, "I feel moody. They told us at the maturation program that we might feel moody!" I told Wendy and Wendy said, "She didn't even know that word until Friday." Funny kids!

Today Janelle said her arms hurt until she could hardly lift them. Rella took her upstairs and tucked her in bed. Rella told me that she told Janelle to call her when Janelle wanted to get up and she would come uncover her because Janelle couldn't lift the covers! Little mother! It finally dawned on me what the problem was and I told Janelle I thought it was because she played so much boxing yesterday on the Wii that her arm and back muscles were sore! She loves the Wii!

Well, I got the girls all fed lunch, now I'll go fix for LaMar. They are out feeding the fish. Rick just left awhile ago with Janelle and Jaiden. Today we will take Adria and Rella with us to visit Grandma and Alicia will pick them up there, then she won't have to drive clear to our place. 

The Great-Grandma Zada visits happened a few times after grand-girl sleepovers!
And a little later in the month, Mom&Dad hosted Chris's Boys and also did a GG visit!