Happy Birthday Brandon...just a little bit late

Well, somewhere between studying like crazy and several difficult exams I totally spaced posting a blog for my little bro's birthday. Well Brandon, I hope you accept my lame apology enjoy this post.

Happy Halloween!!

Last Night we had so much fun taking Blake trick-or-treating. When we first started we would take him to the door and he would just stand there and stare at the people when they opened the door. As we got into it he would start knocking on the doors and try to open them before the people answered the door. There were a few times where they opened the door and he would fall inside the house. Whenever Blake saw a dog he would try to go into their house and forget all about the candy. He was so much fun and wanted to walk the whole time. We were out for about an hour before we were all frozen and had to come home. We decided on Blakes costume in honor of Ryan's first year at school here and then I thought to myself........We could all wear scrubs. I was so excited because I would be comfortable walking around, Ryan is used to wearing them and Blake just looked so darn cute in them. Here are the pics from last night.

Too Awesome Not to Post!!!

I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday. I saw this on a friends facebook and couldn't keep from chuckling. So here you go......
This is for all the wonderful Mormon's out there!!!!

1. We believe in SUVs and minivans, as the form of transportation, and in knee length shorts, which are always nice, and in multilevel marketing.

2. We believe that church ball players should be punished for their own fouls, and not for unsportsmanlike aggression.

3. We believe that through bread crumbs, cheese, creamy soups, and rice all casseroles can be saved through obedience to ward cookbooks and creativity in the mixing bowl..

4. We believe that the first layers and ingredients of the Dip are: first, beans; second, cheese; third, chopped tomatoes; fourth, the gift of sour cream; fifth, olives; sixth, salsa; seventh, guacamole, that is, if you have it.

5. We believe that a Mormon should have a distinguished or a cute name, that it is appropriate to name a child after a church leader or a historical figure including an ancestor, that alternative spellings and French prefixes only add to a name, and that when referring to the names of General Authorities, middle initials should be a part thereof.

6. We believe in the same wall decor that exists in many Mormon homes, namely, framed family proclamations, vinyl lettering, inspirational word signs, family photos, pictures of temples and Jesus, and so forth.

7. We believe in the gift of the re-gift, church books, crafts, family photos, baked goods, emergency supply kits, and so forth.

8. We believe in sparkling grape juice so long as it is nonalcoholic; we also believe in bringing root beer and sprite to ward parties.

9. We believe in all that we have scrapbooked, all that we will now scrapbook, and we believe thatwe will yet scrapbook many great and important things pertaining to our family, friends, pets, and vacations.

10. We believe in the literal mixing of ketchup and mayo and in the generous application of ranch dressing; that CBAs (church-based acronyms) will be used to describe YM/YW, PEC, the Y, NCMO, and CTR; that Mitt Romney will get Mormons to vote for him any time he runs; and, that the Mormons will enjoy reading Twilight and The Work and the Glory.

11. We claim the privilege of trying to identify common acquaintances with any visitor at church, and allow all other people at church the same privilege, and let them name drop the names of Famous and general authorities how, where, or what they may.

12. We believe in being subject to scoutmasters, pampered chef hostesses, and the writers of the U.S. News and World Report Rankings for professional schools, and in obeying, honoring, and sustaining Glenn Beck.

13. We believe in being above average, good at crafts, optimistic, and being fifteen minutes late everywhere we go. Indeed, we may say that we follow BYU football. We believe rumors about famous people joining the church, we hope to meet the three Nephites, we have endured many pyramid schemes, and hope to be able to endure all pyramid schemes. If there is anything cheap, free, sold in bulk, or given away when somebody is moving, we seek after these things.

Baby Number 2 and Pumpkin Patch!!

Well these past few weeks have been pretty uneventful for the West Family. Lots of studying for Ryan, lots of running around and playing for Blake and lots of laying on the couch feeling yucky for me. I realized the other day that I had not shared our exciting news on here yet.

Baby West number 2 is on the way!!!!!!...... Wednesday I will 17 weeks along and am still feeling the sickness of the whole thing. It is starting to go away some days but still likes to come back on others. This baby is due on April 1st. We are so excited to welcome another child into our home and I can't believe I am almost halfway through the pregnancy. On Monday I have an appointment and don't know if they will do an ultrasound but in about 4 weeks we will be finding out what we are having. I am too impatient to wait. We would love what ever we get. Having a girl would be wonderful because we don't have one yet but on the other hand having a boy would be just as wonderful because we have everything we would possibly need for a boy!! I guess we will see in a few weeks.

In other news, yesterday Ryan's school had a Arts and Crafts show and also had a pumpkin patch for the kiddies. It was a lot of fun to take Blake to and have him be around other little kids. He loved going around and touching the pumpkins and then running back into our arms. He is getting so big and I can't believe how much he is learning to do.

Lately his favorite thing to do is walk around the house and find a little piece of trash and bring it to us and say "YUCKY" while shaking his head. He is starting the destruction phase of being a little boy though I don't know if this phase ever goes away. He loves grabbing trash cans and tipping them over, pulling anything that is on the table down onto the ground. Taking all of our movies off of the rack and throwing them on the floor. He also likes to go and flush the toilet over and over, take every toy out of his toy box and throw it on the floor and then walk away, and lets not forget his favorite word... "NO" with the cutest little smile you can't get mad at.

On the other hand, Blake is the sweetest little boy to be around. He gets so excited when Ryan gets home from school and runs up to the door when he hears it unlocking. Blake loves to go on walks with Ryan to get the mail every day after school. He loves to give hugs and kisses and he loves giving high fives. My favorite thing is that he loves to snuggle in the morning with his blanket and me. He is such a sweet boy and I can't imagine my life without him. I am so excited to add another baby to the mix so he can have someone to play with.

My Baby Sister Is Married!!

This past four weeks have been crazy busy. Blake and I left for Utah on Aug. 27 to go to Jill's bridal shower in Logan. That whole next week was spent getting ready for the wedding and making sure that everything was taken care of. On Saturday the 29 was the bridal shower in the afternoon which was really fun. That night Jill went through the temple and it was such a wonderful night that I know she will never forget.

The next Saturday the 5th was the magical day. Jill looked beautiful and Doran didn't look too bad himself. They make a beautiful couple. It was such a beautiful day and everything went perfectly. It was so emotional to me to see my baby sister getting married but I know that they were made for each other. After the wedding we had a luncheon at the church and then headed off to Noah's for the reception. The reception hall was beautiful and everything went very well. At the reception they had a room with the BYU vs. Oklaholma game which the men loved. It was a great night and Jill and Doran were so happy.

The next week was the reception in Vegas as was also so nice. The reception was gorgeous and Jill and Doran were still beaming from the wedding. It was such a nice day and I don't think they will ever forget.

I was so happy that I was able to be there considering our move to Colorado just a few weeks before. It was hard being away from Ryan for 2 1/2 weeks but I was very happy that he was able to fly in for the wedding and stay for 2 days. I am so happy for Jill and Doran and wish the best of luck on their new life together. I love you guys so much!!!! Here are a few pictures of the wedding day!!

My Husband the Student Doctor!!

So we are all setteled here in Colorado with almost everything unpacked. We are loving the area and the weather and pretty much everything else around us. Behind our building are a bunch of trails that you can go hiking on and they have wildlife around and it is beautiful. Also my favorite part was when I was walking the trail with Blake the other day and after fifteen minutes I ended up in front of Target. Could a girl ask for anything more?? I think not!!!

This past week Ryan has been going to orientation for school and has been learning more about what the next four years are going to be like. He starts school officially on Monday and has a quiz on the very first day with a case study also due. Now here is my question. CAN YOU SERIOUSLY HAVE HOMEWORK AND A TEST THE VERY FIRST DAY OF CLASS WHEN YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE???? Apparently you can!!!!



Today was a very exciting day for both of us. This morning was the White Coat Ceremony where they give all the students their white coats and they take an oath and officially become student doctors. They do this to show the students that they respect them as peers and to let the students feel that they are already making a difference which I definately agree that they are. This ceremony was pretty big and it was really awesome to see Ryan go up there and introduce himself as a student doctor. In the video it is really hard to hear him because I was in back but when he goes to the microphone he says, ''Hi, I am Student Doctor and Second Lieutenent in the Air Force, Ryan West from Hawthorne, NV." After he introduced himself the professors coated the students to show that they are their peers.

I thought it was pretty awesome.
As soon as Ryan went up to introduce himself I started bawling like a little baby. Just a little emotional these days. All I could think about is the next four years and how hard it would be but on the other hand what a wonderful experience it will be. I know that it will take getting used to but I know what a hard worker Ryan is and he is fully capable. Me on the other hand....I have already made a few friends that are in the same situation thatI am and I will be able to hang out with. I am excited to get involved in the community and to figure this place out.

I am so excited for this chapter in our lives and I know that our relationship will grow more and more throughout this process. It will be hard but I know that this is the right thing for us to be doing right now. I love my husband so much and am so grateful that he is following his dreams and wants to give his family the best life he can give us. He is so strong and is my best friend. He is such a wonderful father and I am so lucky to have him.

Family Reunion, Walking, and Starting a New Chapter in our lives!!

So I havn't been good lately at writing but I know that I need to right now. A few weeks ago we had Ryan's family come to Utah and spend a few days with us. We had his Mom, Dad, Nicole, Brandon, Jared, Lacey and Brynlee all here. We were sad that Matt and Angie were not able to come. Also David who is on his mission was not here but we are excited to see him in 4 months. This was my first time hosting a weekend with family even though technically it isn't really my house but it was a lot of fun. I cooked all the meals and I think they turned out okay. We also went shooting, played the Wii, watched movies, played volleyball, rode 4-wheelers, and best of all we floating a freezing cold canal (Thanks to my mom for watching the babies). I am so bad and didn't take any pictures but my dad did manage to get one of all of us after we floated the Logan Canal. The water was freezing when you first got in but after about 5 minutes you bum got numb and it was perfect after that unless you hit a rapid and got splashed. We took inner tubes and sticks which was a brilliant idea of my dad's and started down. The canal took about 45 minutes to get to the end and everyone wanted to do it again. It was so much fun to go down together as a family and see everyone spinning and running into the trees and walls. All in all, no one got hurt and I think it was the highlight of the trip.

Blake has finally started to walk at the ripe age of 17 months. We were a little worried for a while but he is just stubborn and wanted to do it in his own time. He still wants to crawl a lot because he can go a lot quicker but he is getting the hang of it and pretty soon will be running around. We are so proud of him and he is growing so quickly. We were pretty sad when he took his first steps about 8 hours after Ryan's family had left. Here are a few of his first steps...

We are beginning a new chapter of our lives tomorrow. At about 7 o'clock Ryan, myself and my dad are headed out in three seperate vehicles to drive to Colorado. My mom will be flying out with Blake on Saturday so we don't have to worry about him and the long car ride there. We are moving there and Ryan is starting med school on August 3. I am so proud of him. Also, Ryan was sworn in as a Second Lieutenent in the Air Force a few months ago and he will be getting a full scholorship from them. That means we save about 400,000 dollars over the next 4 years and we don't have to go into debt. This is a huge blessing.

We have truly been blessed these past few months with everything that has gone on in our lives and we couldn't have done it without our families. I want to thank our families for everything they have done for us. We wouldn't have made it without them and I am excited to start our lives again and build our family in Colorado, at least for the next four years.

To a Wonderful Mother On Her Birthday!!!

Today is my mom's birthday and I wanted to let her know how much I love and appreciate her. I know I don't tell her enough how much I love her and look up to her. My mom has always been there for me when I have needed her and I don't know where I would be without her. She is such a wonderful grandma to Blake and loves him so much.
My mom has such a great sense of humor and whenever I am down she can always cheer me up. Here are a few examples. I am terrified of people chasing me up stairs. I literally scream and can't run and fall in a ball in the middle of the stairs if someone starts chasing me up them. (Pathetic I know but I can't help it) My mother LOVES to chase me up stairs but I can't ever get mad at her. I just start screaming and then laughing as she starts chasing me and I fall to the floor. When I was in high school I came home one day in not such a great mood and the song Play that Funky Music (My mom's favorite song of all time) was blaring on the stereo speakers. When I found her in the Den and opened the door I couldn't help but start laughing hysterically as I watched her dancing around the room and singing this song at the top of her lungs. My mom will randomly show up in my room and jump on my bed just to come and talk with me and see how I am doing. She is so fun to be with and spend time with and I consider my mom one of my best friends.
My friends have often told me that they are jealous of how well my mom and I get along. Don't get me wrong, we have had our moments but don't we all. My mom is the most wonderful woman alive and I am proud to be her daughter and have her as my kids Grandma.
My mom is the most generous, loving, kind, compassionate woman I have ever known. She would do anything for her children and I have witnessed that these past 7 months as we have lived with my parents. I love her so much and hope she feels special on this wonderful day. Happy Birthday MOM!!! I LOVE YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM

My wonderful mother is having a birthday today. I just wanted to let her know how much I love her. She has been a great mom throughout my entire life. Mom, Heather and I really appreciate all that you do for us and how much you love us. And Blake just loves his Grandma West. I hope you have a great day and know how much we all care about you.

Blakes First Fish!!

After leaving Hawthorne on Wednesday we went to visit Ryan's brother Jared and his wife Lacey and baby Brynlee. We had such a great time with them and love when we can spend time with them. On Thursday Ryan bought me my very own fishing pole and on Friday we went fishing. I caught 2 fish and the four of us together caught 11 fish total. We had so much fun and Blake was so good for us while we were there. Blake even caught his very first fish. Here are some pictures of our pictures from the trip.

Blake's First Fish

The Cutest baby girl ever!!!

My poor baby boy got a little sunburned.

Cousins

So happy

So adorable!!

When we got home on Saturday we went to the park with my family and had a great picnic. Blake loved the swings.