The West Family

Christmans 2011 in Logan!!

2012-01-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas this year in Logan!! We spend all the days eating, playing games, watching football and staying up late. Blake and Carter loved having Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's. They were so spoiled this year and got so many toys. Ryan and I received a camera so I can finally start blogging again since my old camera decided to die on me a few months ago. Here are a bunch of pictures from this Christmas!!

Halloween with my Superheroes!!

2011-10-31T21:46:00.001-07:00

Here are my two little superheroes!! They had so much fun trick or treating tonight and got way to much candy!! I won't bore you with things to read so here are just a bunch of pictures for you!!

Blake's new invention!!

2011-05-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

Whoever said that the toy was the best part of the happy meal was sadly mistaken!!

Easter Festivities!!

2011-05-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

This Easter we were able to spend in Logan with my family since Ryan had to shadow at the hospital here for the next week.
Blake had so much fun this Easter with 2 egg hunts, dying eggs, and finding his basket hidden for the first time. Let's just say that both boys were hopped up on sugar for the next few days.
Here are my beautiful boys in their Easter shirts!!

Happy Easter!!

Congrats Graduate Jill!!

2011-05-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Last week my little Sister Jill graduated from BYU with a degree in Sociology. I am so proud of her and all the hard work that she has put into school. It was so fun to be able to surprise her and show up for her graduation!! Congrats Jill!! You are awesome!!

Carter's Birthday part 2!!

2011-04-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures from Carters birthday.

Carter's Birthday!!

2011-04-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

I feel so bad that this is so late but better late than never right?

Carters birthday was on March 26 which was a Saturday and the first day of Ryan's spring break. We decided to leave on Friday right after Ryan test and drive to Logan, UT so we could spend his birthday with family and get out of town for a while. On Saturday we woke up and I started his cake and all of my family was able to come and have a little party with us. I can't believe that it has already been a year since he has joined our family. Here are a bunch of pictures of the festivities!!

How do I even deal with this??

2011-03-07T17:06:00.001-08:00

How do I deal this this 3 year old of mine? By the way, Ryan thought it was hilarious!!

Mostly Pictures!!

2011-03-05T17:07:00.001-08:00

I am so behind in the blogging world and feel so ashamed!! So for this post I am just going to put mostly pictures so you can SEE what we have been up too the past few months. Enjoy!!

Daddy and Carter showing off their RVUCOM attire!! I love this picture!!

Apparently they both had to sit in the basket...

Brotherly Love

Blake's defiance look...

Happy to not have Blake sitting with him....

Camping in the front room. Hamburger for dinner...

The boys....

Me and my Grandma Orme on the day of Grandpa's funeral. I love her so much!!

The snow was over 5 feet tall.... EVERYWHERE!!!

Blake loves helping with Carter....

My latest sewing project....Apron!!

Blake pushing Carter on the Car...

Teething requires sucking on anything he can get in his mouth!!

So tired but refusing to sleep.... Story of his life right now!!

How they drive me nuts....Most annoying sound ever....

Daddy and Blake snuggling on his bed!!

"I love my crazy, magic, almost automatic, wonderful, beautiful life."

Blake's 3rd Birthday!!!

2011-02-03T20:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to the most amazing 3 year old Blake!! Mommy and Daddy love you so much and can't remember our lives without you. You are such a wonderful little guy and such a great big brother. You are growing up so fast which makes me so sad but it is so fun to watch you learn so many new things. We love you so much. How did you get from here.........................

To here..........?????

We love you so much, Love Mommy and Daddy

The Most Wonderful 4 Year of My Life!!

2011-01-05T15:38:00.000-08:00

4 years ago I made the most wonderful decision of my life and married my best friend for time and all eternity. Ryan is my everything and I am so blessed to have him as my husband. I love him with everything that I am and don't know what I would do without him.
Ryan is the most wonderful and supportive husband and father that there is. He works and studies so hard to support his family and he would do anything for us. I love him so much. Here is to another 70 years of complete happiness!!

Christmas Card Blog!!

2010-12-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

So this year seeing as we are poor students and can't send out Christmas cards, I still wanted to do one that everyone could see.

Ryan is in his second year of Medical School and is doing so well. He is loving learning everything and loves to come home and practice all his techniques on me which is wonderful. He is doing so well and will find out in February where he will begin his rotations in the summer. He is the most wonderful father and loves spending time with the boys when ever he gets home from school. Ryan is the Scout Committee Chairman in our ward and loves working with the boys. He is such an example to me about hard work. He would do anything for our family and loves just being at home and relaxing with us when he has the time.

I (Heather) love being a stay at home mom and am so grateful that I have the opportunity to do so. I love Colorado other than the fact the we are so far away from family. I also love the weather here. I am determined to learn how to ski or snow board one of these days but who knows when that will happen. Recently I have taken up sewing and love making little things for my boys. I have made a lot of their Christmas presents this year which was so much fun and probably will be appreciated more now that when they are older and don't want moms homemade clothes and stuff. I am a Visiting Teaching Supervisor in our ward and love getting to know the other women in the ward.

Blake will be 3 years old in February. He is such a smart little boy. He is constantly talking and learning new things every day. He has been potty trained for the past 3 months which has made my life so much easier. He loves reading books with us and playing with any type of car or truck that he can find. As Ryan would say " he is such a boy" which I guess is a good thing. Blake loves to play with his best little friend named Levi. They are so cute together and could play for hours with each other. Blake definitely teaches me something every day.

Carter will be 9 months old the day after Christmas. He is such a joy in my life. After having colic for the first 4 months of his life he has definitely turned out to be such a happy little kid. He is a pro crawler and starting to pull his self up on anything and everything. Carter thinks that Blake is the most hilarious kid ever. He laughs so hard at any thing that Blake does and even tries to copy him whenever he can. Carter loves to be outside and loves to go on walks. He is such a wonderful addition to this family and we love him so much.

We are so grateful to be where we are in life and know that trials make us stronger. We love our families so much and are so grateful for their love and support of us. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and pray that we can all keep the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts this holiday season.

Love, The West Family

Halloween 2010

2010-11-08T18:14:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween my two little monkeys decided to just act like themselves and be monkeys. We found an awesome Curious George costume on e-bay for Blake and Carter wore a little monkey outfit that we had from Blakes first Halloween.

On Friday we went to a school carnival that our friends sister worked at and played some fun games there. On Saturday we got up and headed over to Ryan's school to their Halloween festivities and played even more games and got some candy for the boys. Then that night our ward had a trunk or treat at the church. That is where the boys loaded up on candy. It was a bit chilly that night so Carter played it safe wrapped up in the stroller and Blake loved running around getting candy. Blake actually said "trick or treat" this year. It is so fun watching them grow up and get more excited about the holidays!!

This year I was a cowgirl and Ryan said he was a stressed out medical student. Ha ha!!

Happy Halloween!!

Road Trip to Utah!!!

2010-10-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

About a month ago my sister in law had her beautiful baby girl Lucy!! (Congrats Michael and Sarah). I was so sad that I wasn't there to see her and I was complaining to my friend Joci that I wanted to see her so bad. As brilliant as she is Joci said to me "We should take a road trip and go see her" Awesome idea!!! We decided to pack us up with the three boys and no husbands and take a road trip to Logan Utah. Ryan said we were crazy wanting to take a 10 hour car ride with three boys all 2 or under but I knew we could do it....

The boys did so much better than I ever thought. The t.v. in the car was a huge help and the boys watch movies and George the whole way there. Even Carter did well not being able to see the t.v.

All packed up and ready to go...

Grandpa and Carter snuggling on the couch....

Blake on his beloved bike....

Beautiful precious Lucy Sue Orme.... Only two weeks old!!

Carter in his cute jammies that grandma got for him!!

The boys in their matching jammies....

All three boys... They look like they could all be brothers.. Note to self: It is hard to do a picture shoot with three crazy boys!!

Grandma with her grandsons!!

Grandma with the newest edition!! Couldn't be happier. Little Lucy makes Carter look so big!!

Trying to get a feet shot.... Also very hard!!

Beautiful Lucy Sue!!

Thanks Joci and Levi for coming with me on the crazy trip!!

Thanks Sarah for letting me hold Lucy every chance I got!!

Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us come stay with you for a week and making the house a little louder than you are used to these days!!!

Love you guys!!

Mancer Awareness!!

2010-10-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

So this post was a request from Ryan.... September was Mancer month at Ryan's school. The guys in his class had a contest growing beards for prostate cancer awareness and he decided to participate.....

I don't have enough words to even say anything more about this post so just enjoy the pictures.... Let's just say he won't be growing a beard again anytime soon.

Rockies Game!!

2010-09-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

This past month I won Rockies tickets at a self defense class that I took and it was amazing!! We decided to take our wonderful friends Joci and Tyson and leave the kiddos at home with her awesome parents!! It was such a fun relaxing night and it helped that the Rockies won 9-2 over Cincinnati.

These are all for your viewing pleasure!! We had way too much fun:)

August fun!!

2010-08-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

August has just flown by. We have had so much fun hanging out with family and friends. We were able to have Ryan's sister Nicole come stay with us for a few days before she headed off to college. We had so much fun with Aunt Pickle and Blake and Carter loved having her here.

Oh how I love my Blake!!

Cute Carter

Ryan trying to study with the boys on his lap. I thought it was so cute and had to get a picture. Then I had to take the boys so he could really study.

We were able to have Jared, Lacey and Brynlee come stay with us for a couple of days before they had to continue on the road and drive to their new home for Jared to start Med school. We had so much fun while they were here. I was so happy that they were able to be here on my birthday. Here are a few pictures of the kiddos together. They get along so well!!

Brynlee playing with Carter. She was so in love with him. So cute :)

Watching Madagascar or "Gasgar" together. How cute are they????

Eating some string cheese together!!

Yay for swimming!!

Birthday Day Blowout!! Guess who got to clean this one up????? DADDY!!

Happy Birthday to me!! 25.....I'm an old fart!! Thanks Lacey for making the cake :)

Munchins watching tv up close. Blake refused to put on pants.... He is being potty trained!!!

Bedtime hugs...... They melt my heart!!

I flew to Logan for the weekend to go to Sarah's baby shower. One night we went to the fair and Matthew got a fried twinkie, my mom got fried oreo's and Jill and Doran got a fried coke. The twinkie and oreos were disgusting but the fried coke wasn't too bad.

I walked in the room to find Blake laying next to Carter playing and talking to him like they were best buddies. I love them!!

Last night Ryan and I walked in to check on Blake and we found him sleeping on the floor. Poor kid fell out of bed and didn't even wake up. This is why there is padding on the floor.

Summer Pictures!!

2010-07-21T20:55:00.001-07:00

Here are some of our pictures from our summer vacation in Logan. There is not much else to say other than I think I have the two cutest little boys ever!!!

Silly Blake and Carter!!

2010-07-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

This is the first of about 5 blogs I have done today because I am so behind. So keep reading when you are done with this one because there are 5 new ones to read:)

WE HAVE TWO SILLY SILLY BOYS!! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!

Great Grandma and Grandpa Orme

2010-07-02T12:23:00.001-07:00

We were able to go to Idaho this past weekend to visit my grandparents and introduce them to Carter. They are so sweet!!

We were also able to visit with Matt and Kali in Rexburg. It was so fun to see them again.

Carter's Blessing!! June 13, 2010

2010-07-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Warning: Picture Overload

We blessed Carter in Logan on June 13, 2010. It was so special and so nice to have so much family come and support us. It was such a quick trip for a lot of people but I want them to know how much we appreciate you all coming and sharing this wonderful day with us. Here are a bunch of picures that I took after church.

Summer Vacation Part 1- Cousins, family, and graduation

2010-07-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

Caution: Picture overload

This was the first few weeks of our summer vacation. We drove to Hawthorne with a few stops on the way to go surprise Nicole and go to her graduation. We are so proud of her and all that she has accomplished. It was great that the entire family was able to come and support her. Here are a bunch of pictures from Hawthorne of the West Family. Sorry there are so many but I couldn't choose. They are all so cute.

The attempt!!

2010-07-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

This was my attempt of doing a photoshoot with these two by myself. It didn't go so well!!

Lets just say I should probably get someone professional to do this :)

Denver Zoo and 1 month old!!

2010-04-30T18:50:00.001-07:00

Last week Jill and Doran decided to come and spend a few days with us in between semesters at school. We were so happy that they were able to come and see Blake and their newest Nephew Carter. On Saturday we decided to head over to the Denver Zoo along with Joci, Tyson, and Blakes bestest little friend Levi. We had such a good time there and it was the perfect day to go. Blakes favorite animal was the goose that ran around on the sidewalks. He wanted to chase that thing around all day. What can ya do? Oh well, he did like looking at the polar bear and the gorilla. We had a great day.

On the 26th Carter turned 1 month old. I can't believe how fast this past month has gone. He is such a sweet baby and adds so much joy to our little family unit. I already can't imagine our lives without him. He is growing so big already and has the sweetest chubby face ever. Here are Jill and Doran with Carter on his one month birthday!!

Here are a few more pictures of my little men. I love them so much!!

Blake also found my camera one day and decided that he wanted to be a photographer. I found these on my camera. Oh how I love this boy!!!

And Three Becomes Four!!! Welcome Carter Gregory West!!!

2010-04-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

Carter Gregory West has arrived. We are so excited to have him here and we have a great story to tell..... Hear it is....

On March 25 I had my 38 week doctors appointment and we have had a running joke with the doctor saying that he can come come any day BUT the night of the 25 and early morning on the 26th because Ryan had his Neurology final the next morning at 8:30 (Hence the reason I cannot have the baby this night or the next morning) . My doctor checked me and said I was dialated to a 3 but he was still so high and hadn't dropped. She said we had nothing to worry about and that we would most likely be seeing her in a week for another appointment.
After the appointment that day Ryan and I went home and I layed down to rest while Ryan started to study like crazy. He is super nervous about his test and said he had to study the entire night. That night I put Blake down for bed at 8:00 and layed down to watch T.V. for the rest of the night. At about 10:00 Ryan came home from school because his contacts were hurting his eyes and he needed to switch to his glasses. He then went to study with his friend Eric. He got home about 11:30 and was exhausted and ready for bed.
At about midnight we heard Blake start to cry and went to check on him. I could tell he wasn't feeling well so I took his temperature and it was 103 degrees. So Sad!! Ryan was exhausted and I knew he needed to get some sleep so he could do well on his final the next morning. (I forgot to mention that his spring break started as soon as his test was finished so anytime after the test would be awesome) So Ryan went to bed and I layed on the couch with Blake to watch his fever and see if it would get better with some tylenol. About 2 am I felt a pop in my stomach and thought that the baby had kicked a nerve or something but I felt fine. About 5 minutes later I decided to go to the bathroom and SURPRISE I gushed (sorry if too much info). My water had broken on the one night that we said we could not have this baby. I was still 10 days before my due date. Everyone told us this would happen and we even joked about it ourselves.
We called our friends that said they would take Blake and explained that he was sick and that we didn't want him to get their little boy sick. Tyson ended up coming over to spend the rest of the night with Blake so we could go to the hospital. We headed over to the hospital and the contractions were coming on strong. When we got there we were taken up to labor and delivery and they immediately got me going on an I.V. and an epidural about an hour after we got there. As soon as the epidural started working I was in heaven.
Ryan e-mailed his teacher at 2:30 explaining the situation and asked if it was possible to reschedule his test. Things started to go so smoothly after that. After the epidural they checked me and I was a 5. Forty-five minutes later I was a 6. An hour later I was an 8. An hour after that I was a complete 10. By 7 am that morning they told me I could start pushing when I felt like it. At about 7:30 we decided to give it a try. After about 2 pushes the nurse decided she needed to call the doctor and tell him to get in the room. The doctor on call came in and heard everyone joking with Ryan about his test that started in less than an hour. He looked at Ryan and asked if he wanted to gown up. Ryan got so excited as he got ready and the doctor told Ryan that he was going to deliver our son. (I am tearing up right now) The doctor then proceeded to tell Ryan that his hands would be right there in case something went wrong but he wanted Ryan to do most of the delivery.
About 4 pushes later, Ryan delivered our second son. Carter Gregory West came into the world on March 26th at 7:54 A.M. weighing 7'3 and 20 inches long. We were so happy and even more happy when his teacher e-mailed him back saying that he could reschedule his test and to just worry about his family at this point in time.
The entire labor and delivery went so quickly and smoothly that I couldn't have asked for anything more. I am so happy that Ryan was able to deliver Carter and that he could have that amazing experience. We went home a few days later and still had to keep Carter away from Blake who is still sick. We took Blake to the doctor and he had a double ear infection plus a really bad cold.
When my water first broke we called my mom who was supposed to come a week later and told her what had happened. She immediately got a plane ticket and flew in that night so she could take care of Blake. She had to go home a few days later but returned on her original flight a few days after that. She is here with us now and I am so grateful for everything she has done for us this past week and a half. She is such an amazing woman and I cannot thank her enough. She has truly saved us from so much stress and I love her so much.
Yesterday which was Easter was the first time that Blake was able to hold Carter. We were so sad that we didn't get the hospital pictures with them together but it was so neat to see Blake hold him last night.
I love my little family and am so happy that Blake has a little playmate now to grow up with. We will never forget this night and the crazy way things happen. On a final note Ryan was able to take his test a week later. When he started to study again for it his hard drive crashed and he had no notes to study from and he still did quite well considering everything that had happened.
WHAT A CRAZY WONDERFUL MEMORABLE WEEK!!!

I LOVE MY BOYS SO MUCH!!!

Random Pictures and Fun Things From the Past 2 Months!!

2010-01-15T13:38:00.001-08:00

Okay, I have been a horrible blogger lately but here are some updates of the past few months.....

1. To start out, before Thanksgiving we were able to have Jared, Lacee and Brynlee come to visit us here in Colorado for a few days. We had a lot of fun with them and it was good to relax and hang out with them. Here are a few pictures of Blake and Brynlee playing together!!

2. Blake decided that he wanted to use the potty for the first time. One day as we were changing his diaper he stood up and ran staight to the toilet so we thought it would be fun to put him on and as soon as we did he started to go pee-pee. Yay!! We got him a potty chair for his birthday and he loves to go potty on it. He is now almost completely potty trained which we are thrilled about since his little brother will be arriving in about 2 weeks.

3. My wonderful Husband finished his first semester of Med School with two A's and two high B's. He is now almost done with his second semester and is still going strong. He is ready to be done with neuro though and have a little break. I am so proud of him and all that he has accomplished. He is going to be an amazing doctor and am excited for him to keep learning and progressing towards his goal.

4. I am now 37 1/2 weeks pregnant with our 2nd son. He is due on April 1st and no that's not a joke. We are very excited for this little boy to come and join our family. The pregnancy is going well at the moment. Early pregnancy was not so easy but now that we are passed that part we are getting very excited to welcome this little boy into our family.

Well, I will try to keep everyone updated on what is going on with our family. Have a great night!!!

Happy 3 Year Anniversary Babe!!

2010-01-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

On January 5, Ryan and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary!! It seems like only yesterday that we got married and started our lives together. For our anniversary we decided to take a little day trip to Salt Lake and spend some one on one time together. My mom watched Blake for us which was awesome and let us relax and enjoy the day. We started out the day by going to Ogden and going to the Hill Air Force Base museum. The planes at the museum were huge. Ryan knew a lot more about everything there than I did so he had a good time explaining to me the different types of planes and what they were used for and in what war. It was very interesting. After the museum we drove to West Jordan and went to In'N'Out for lunch. It was sooooo good and I wish they had one closer to us here in Parker. Oh Well!! I would probably gain 50 pounds if they did. After Lunch we went to a few different stores and found Ryan some new jeans. That evening we went to see "The Blind Side" which was so good. It is definitly a movie that I would recommend to anyone. After that we drove back to Logan and did a little bit more shopping and then went home. I have to say that it was a perfect day with the perfect husband.

I want Ryan to know how much I love him and how grateful I am for him and all that he does for Blake and I. He is such a caring person and I couldn't have married a more loving man. He is my world and I cannot believe that it has already been three years. He is the most wonderful father to Blake and I am so excited to have this second little guy and see Ryan's interaction with him also. I am so happy that I get to spend the rest of my life and all of eternity with him and want him to know that he is amazing.

Here are a few pictures of Ryan at the museum.

Christmas!!

2010-01-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

For Christmas we were able to go to Logan to be with my family. Blake and I decided to fly out a week and a half earlier than Ryan so he could focus on his studying for his finals. WOO HOO!!! 1 semester down. That will be another post though. Ryan drove to Logan on the 21st and we were so happy to be back together. We were able to have our whole family together and it was so fun to see everyone. The plan on Christmas morning to wake up when Blake got up since he had been waking up between 8 and 9 every morning. The plan changed when the next morning Blake decided to wake up at 5 AM. Yikes. We had to keep him quiet for a few hours and finally got everyone up at about 7:45. We had such a great time and loved being together. The next few days were spent playing new games and just hanging out at the house with everyone. Here are some pictures from Christmas day!!

Thanksgiving!!

2010-01-15T12:09:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving Blake, Ryan, and I flew to Nevada to be with Ryan's family. We had such a great time there. It was an extra special year because Ryan's brother David had just gotten home from his mission the week before. We were so excited to see him and have him meet Blake for the first time. We were able to be there for Thanksgiving and his report at the same time. The family was able to be together which was so special since we are all starting to go our seperate ways due to schooling and moving to different states. We loved being with his family and it was so hard to leave at the end of the week. Here are a few pictures of Thanksgiving weekend.

Happy Birthday Brandon...just a little bit late

2009-11-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

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!!

2009-11-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2009-10-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-10-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-09-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-07-31T18:51:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-07-23T18:10:00.001-07:00

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!!!

2009-07-07T16:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-05-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

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.

Hawthorne Trip!!

2009-05-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

This past week we have been able to come to Hawthorne, NV to visit Ryan's family. On Tuesday night we drove in and surprised them. They had no idea we were coming and it was so fun to walk in and surprise them all. This past Saturday was Armed Forces Day which is a huge holiday here with parade and everything. On Wednesday night we were able to go and watch Brandons baseball game which was great fun. Then on Thursday night we went to Brandons school pagent. Friday we hung out and on Saturday we went to the parade which lasted over an hour. Then we went to the park the rest of the day and sat in the shade and ate snowcones while blake played in the grass. We have had such a great time here and are sad to be leaving on Wednesday. Here are some fun pictures of Blake this past week. Some are in the tub, at the park and some with his new suit on.

Happy Birthday Nicole!!

2009-04-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

Today is my Sister-in-laws 17th birthday. Nicole is such an amazing girl and a wonderful daughter, sister and friend to everyone she knows. She is one of the toughest girls I know growing up with 5 brothers. She is such a great Aunt to Blake and he loves her so much.

I asked Ryan what his favorite memory of Nicole was and he said that when she was little he used to read her stories at night until she would fall asleep. He also said one of his favorite memories of Nicole is when he was teaching her how to drive a stick shift and she would peel out and not look behind her when she backed up. He also said he loves their late night talks and many other things, but they have to stay in the cave. My favorite memory of Nicole is when we get to play games together all night and talk.

Nicole is such a wonderful girl and I want her to know how grateful I am to be a part of her family and to have her as a sister in law. She is one of the most beautiful and sweetest girls that I know. I want to wish her a happy birthday along with Ryan and Blake. We hope you have a great day and eat lots of cake.

In other news, we had a great easter and had lots of fun with family. Blake got a new Easter suit for church which he looked so handsome in. I will post a better picture next time he wears it because he would not hold still for the one I got. Ryan and I both got a job with the Census so we are trying to work everyday and save a little extra money. I have to thank my mom for watching Blake for us everyday so we can work. Not much else is happening lately other than we are still in the process of applying with the Air Force for Med School. I will keep you all posted. Have a great night.

Happy Birthday Dad!!

2009-03-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't do this very often, but I'm actually making a blog. Today is my daddy's b-day and I just want him know how special he is to all of us. He's a great father and husband and a loving grandfather. His heart just melts every time he holds one of his 3 grandchildren. He truly is an example to all of us. I want to be as good of husband and father as he has become. Well, I don't want to get too gushy, so I'll just say Happy Birthday dad. Hope you had a good one and many more good ones to come.

Family is Amazing!!!

2009-03-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

These past few weeks Ryan and I have been able to see a lot of family. Two weekends ago my family threw a huge surprise party for my grandma's 80 birthday. She had no idea what was going on. To surprise her, all 4 of her children came, 15 of her 17 grandchildren came, and all 8 of her great-grandchildren came without her knowing anything. My parents and two Aunts took her out to dinner on her birthday and she thought that was her surprise. That next day everyone showed up before noon. Then we called my grandma and invited her over for lunch. When she came in the house everyone was waiting for her in the kitchen to surprise her. It was such a great day and so nice to see everyone. It has been a few years since we have all been together.

After the surprise we asked my grandma who just turned 80 what she wanted for her birthday and she said she wanted my dad to take her out for a ride on the four wheelers. SERIOUSLY!!! Coolest Grandma ever!!! She was a rockin' four wheeler babe. Here are the pictures of my Grandma riding the four wheeler. Happy Birthday Grandma!!!

This past weekend Ryan and I were able to go to our niece's baby blessing. Brynlee is such a sweet, amazing, beautiful baby girl. We were so happy we were able to go and share this experience with Ryan's side of the family. We were also able to see family members that we had not seen in a long time and I was able to meet a few more members of his extended family.

Unfortunately I was not able to get any pictures because I was to busy holding the baby but I will post some as soon as I can get some.

Family is such an amazing part of my life. They keep me heading in the right direction. I love my family so much and can't imagine my life without them. I have also married into such an amazing family. I love them with all of my heart and am so happy that they have accepted me into their family. I love being with family and am so sad when we have to leave. Family is such an important part of life and I am so glad that I have been able to start my family. I love my husband and my son so much. They are my rock and they make me want to be a better person. They support me and lift me up. My life is so much better because of them.

We're Alive!!

2009-03-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since my last post and I apologize. These past few weeks we havn't been doing too much. Last week Ryan and I decided to bundle Blake up in his snow suit and take him sledding in our front yard which consisted of Ryan pulling Blake and I on the sled. It was so much fun and Blake seemed to like the snow more than he ever has before.

This past weekend Ryan and I were able to leave Blake with my parents for the first time ever and go and visit our new niece. It was so sad to leave Blake but I knew that he was in good hands. It was such a great time to get away and be able to catch up on a little sleep that we havn't had for over a year. We were so happy that we were able to go help with the new baby and not have to worry about Blake. I want to thank my parents for watching him and letting us have a much needed vacation. Here is our new and only niece that we have.... She is such a doll. We got back last night and just had to go stare at Blake sleeping for a good 5 minutes. Ryan and I missed him so much but he had a great weekend with grandma and grandpa. My mom told me that on Saturday morning she went to get Blake up from his first nap and he had somehow pulled his arm out of his sleeve and through the neck hole. HOW??? No one knows. He was still fully zipped up with the button still in tack. This little boy is hilarious. When my mom started to laugh at him he looked at her and started cracking up. He sure is a funny boy. Well, I will try to be better about blogging. Hope you enjoy.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T11:21:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's day. On Saturday morning this is what I woke up and saw next to me...I was so excited. I love getting flowers. That morning my parents made everyone a really nice breakfast that included pink heart shaped pancakes, hashbrowns, chocolate covered strawberries and juice. It was so delicious. After breakfast my family just hung out and we all watched a movie. That night Ryan and I were able to go out and do something which I was very excited about because we hadn't been out in a while. My parents and Michael and Sarah were home so they said they would watch Blake for us. (Thank you so much guys!!!) Ryan didn't tell me where we were going so it was a total surprise. We first stopped and got hot chocolate which is kind of a traditon of ours. Then he took me ice skating. It was so much fun and I had not been ice skating for so long. It took us a little bit to feel comfortable but pretty soon we were going at normal speed. Ha Ha... I am proud to say that neither one of us fell the whole night that we were there. Here are some pictures of us ice skating....

When we left the rink our car had been covered by the snow. After ice skating we came home and ate some pizza for dinner which was delicious. Then we played a game with my parents and Michael and Sarah. After the game Ryan and I decided to exchange gifts. This year I decided to make Ryan's gift to save a little money. I am very impressed with how it turned out and Ryan loved it. Here it is....After I gave Ryan his gift he gave me mine... Every Valentines day Ryan has given me a stuffed animal and I love them so much. Also he got me the biggest box of chocolate's that I have every seen. It was amazing. You can never go wrong with chocolate.Well, I hope everyone had a great day and were with the one's you love!!!!

My baby is 1 year old!!!

2009-02-05T22:25:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was Blake's first birthday. How time flies. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital but it also feels like we have had him forever. How he went from this.......

to this...........

I have no idea. Blake is such an amazing part of mine and Ryan's lives. We love him so much and can't imagine what we would do without him. He is such a boy already and loves his daddy so much. He is learning so much every day and it amazes me how much he can do. This past couple of months Blake has learned to do so much. He loves to pull himself up to standing positions and is starting to cruise around furniture. He isn't quite sure about the walking part yet but he knows how to get to where he is going quicker than I can notice that he is gone. I don't know what my life would be like without him. I love when he looks up at me and smiles so big that it makes me want to cry. I love when he gives me sloppy wet kisses and when he snuggles down in my arms and we stare in each other's eyes. I love being his mother and can't ever remember not having him when it has only been one short year. He keeps me busy and I love it. He is such a blessing in my life and I love him so much.

For Blake's birthday we had a little party for him on Saturday. We had Grandma and Grandpa Orme, Michael and Sarah, Jill , Matthew and Great Grandma Kircher from my family. Then Matt and Angie (Ryan's brother and wife) and Matt and Kali (Ryan's best friend and his girlfriend) both came from Rexburg to celebrate with us. We also had my friend Molly and her husband and baby come over. We had pizza for dinner, opened presents and gave him his birthday cake. Blake's birthday cake this year was so fun to make. I have made cake before but never like this. I have never made a themed cake or really even decorated one much but I do have to say that it turned out so cute. Needless to say Blake was a pro at eating the cake. We gave his a very large piece and he ate it all. He was such a mess after but it was definitely worth it to see. It was such a fun night and I am so happy that everyone came to celebrate with us.

On Tuesday which was his real birthday, we got up and took Blake to get his pictures done. We ended up recreating a pose that we had done at the same place when he was 3 months old. It turned out so cute. Then that night I made him and everyone else pancakes for dinner because that is one of his favorite foods. It was a good day and I wish he would have known that it was his birthday. Here are some pictures of the party and his birthday. Hope you enjoy!!!

Birthday and Reunion!!

2009-02-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

A week ago Ryan, Blake and I drove up to Salt Lake to be with his family for his grandma's 90th birthday party. Neither one of Ryan's grandma's have seen Blake before so we were very excited to go and have Blake meet his great grandmothers. We drove up on Friday afternoon and went to grandma West's house. She had never seen Blake before so it was fun to see them play together. We then waited for the rest of the family to show up. We then went to visit one of Ryan's cousins and then came back and had pizza for dinner. After dinner we went to Aunt Patty's house to spend the night.

The next day we woke up and hung out at the house for a while. I made pancakes for everyone (funny story but too embarrasing to tell) and they were delicious. We then all got ready for the day and left to go to Grandma Hansen's 90th birthday party. We had a good time and I got to meet a lot of people on his side of the family that I had never met before. Also, Blake got to meet his Great Grandma Hansen. She was so cute when we put Blake on her lap. It was so great to see them together and I made sure that I got lots of pictures of them together.

After the party there was a family reunion that we had at the church. I met a lot of new people and even met Ryan's mom's cousin who used to baby-sit my dad and was great friends with my grandparents. (small world I know) After the reunion we went back to Aunt Patty's house and hung out for a while before going to bed.

The next morning we got up and ready and went back over to Grandma West's house for breakfast. She had all of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren come over and she made a wonderful breakfast for us all. I met even more of Ryan's cousins that I had never met before. It was so much fun to have to whole family together.

After breakfast it started to snow pretty hard and we decided it was time to drive home so we could beat the storm. Half of the drive was pretty scary due to the snow and rain but we got back to Logan safely and were very grateful.

We had such a great time in Salt Lake and a great time with family. I am so happy that Blake was able to meet two of his great-grandma's (he still has all 4 which is awesome). We definitely made memories that will not be forgotten. I love when this side of the family gets together because we have so much fun. Here are some picures of the weekend.

I had to throw this picture of Blake and his Uncle Jared in. I thought it was cute. Blake loves his Uncle Jared.

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-15T21:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been so long since the last post. We have had a very busy month. Since the last post we enjoyed spending time with Ryan's side of the family. It was nice to relax and spend Christmas with them. We were able to stay in Hawthorne until the 30th of December when we had to drive to Logan. It was a great drive and Blake was amazing during the 11 hour trip. We arrived in Logan and started to unpack. We have had a great time here so far and are still trying to find jobs for the next 6 months. Ryan has pretty much applied everywhere and I even applied one place. We are just relaxing and enjoying not having Ryan go to school every day.

Blake and Nicole sledding

The cutest thing I've ever seen one morning when I woke up.

Thanks for reading!!

Christmas Week!!

2008-12-26T19:45:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year we are in Hawthorne, Nevada. It was great to have the whole family here except for David who is on a mission. We left Vegas on Wednesday afternoon after finishing loading the trailer and truck. When we got to Hawthorne we were so tired. That Friday, Jared, Lacey, Matt, Angie and Dallin all arrived. On Saturday we decided to go out in the desert and shoot some guns which I have only done once in my life. Lacey owns two of her own and brought them with some bullets and skeet to shoot. We had a lot of fun and though I only shot the gun once because my shoulder hurt when I did shoot it, it was a lot of fun to watch everyone else. Here are some pictures of everyone that went.

Ryan

HeatherJaredLacey (who is 7 months pregnant)
MattAngie (who is 5 months pregnant)Ryan's dadBrandon
The next few days we just hung out and relaxed. It was good to not have to worry about anything while we were here. We did some crafts, played some games, and played basketball.
Christmas Eve was wonderful and it was fun to do the traditions of Ryan's family. We had home made pizza for dinner. Then we acted out the nativity story. After we sat in a circle and everyone said something nice about everyone else in the circle. This took about two hours since we had10 people. We then opened one gift each from a sibling and then headed off to bed.
On Christmas Blake woke up about 7:15 so we got up, fed and changed him and then woke everyone else up.
We had a great Christmas day and got lots of great gifts. That night we had a wonderful dinner consisting of ham, potato cassarole, rolls, peas, and jello. The only bad thing was that I was feeling sick and couldn't eat any of it. Other than that it was a wonderful day. Here are some pictures of Blake looking at what Santa gave him.
For Christmas Ryan's mom got Blake and Dallin who is Blake's cousin some matching outfits. They are so cute. Dallin is almost exactly 9 months older than Blake. Also that night we put them in the tub together. It was so cute to see... Here are the pics.

Thanks for reading!!! Christmas Week part 2 will come tomorrow!!!! Be sure to read!!!!

Graduation!!

2008-12-18T21:05:00.000-08:00

I am so proud of my husband. This past Tuesday he graduated from UNLV with a bachelor's in Kinesiology. He also graduated with a GPA of 3.9 which is magna cum laude. He is the smartest guy I know. We had so much fun and were so happy that his parents and little brother could come from Hawthorne. Also Ryan's older brother and his wife lacey came from Cedar City. My parents also came in for the graduation and to help us move. Thank you to everyone who supported us and helped us move. Here are some pictures of Ryan after he graduated. I am so proud of him.
Also, we moved from Las Vegas on Wednesday. We drove to Hawthorne, NV to spend Christmas with Ryan's family. Around New Year's we will be driving to Logan, UT where we will stay until mid July before we move to Parker, CO for Med school. We are very excited to be starting a new chapter in our lives and are excited for new experiences that we will experience. We are sad to be leaving all of our friends in Vegas but know that we are supposed to be in Colorado. Thank you to everyone who has helped us through in Vegas at our times of need. You all will always be in our hearts and know that we would not be the people we are today with out all of our friends in Vegas. We will miss you all dearly but thank goodness for blogs that help us stay in touch. We love you all!!

Family Pictures!!

2008-12-10T17:01:00.001-08:00

When we were in Logan for Thanksgiving we had our family pictures done in my parents house. It was a lot of fun and turned out great. Here are some of the pictures. Actually there a quite a few but definitely worth looking at. :)

Cheeri-O's, Cheet-O's, and Spagetti-O's

2008-12-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

Tonight we decided to let blake experience the wonderfulness of Spagettio's with a few cheerio's and baby cheeto's mixed in to make him happy. This is what we got........

Also we found that our wedding video and Blake's baby announcement video are on You-tube put there by our videographer.

This is the date video that he did before the wedding....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0rUK-spFvg&feature=related

Here is our wedding video......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMpH4FKyDMo&eurl=http://www.djsvideo.blogspot.com/

and Blake's announcement video that we had made for the baby shower because he came a little early and was too new to bring to the shower.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQJi0c523JM&feature=related

Thanksgiving Fun!!

2008-12-03T14:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry this post is so late. This thanksgiving we were able to fly to Logan, Utah to be with my family. We were so excited because Ryan's brother Matt and his wife Angie and their son Dallin were able to join us also. They came from Idaho and were able to stay a few days with us.
We flew in Wednesday night and Blake did so much better on the plane than his first plane trip. We drove to Logan which is about 1 1/2 hours from Salt Lake and got to my parents house about 10:30 that night. We ate dinner and visited all night while Blake and his little cousin played with each other. It was so good to see everyone and to have a little friend and cousin for Blake. The next few days flew by so fast. We stayed up every night and just played and talked with everyone. On Thanksgiving morning my dad and all the kids went and had a turkey bowl at the high school with some of the family friends. It was a lot of fun and good exercise before we ate dinner. Thanksgiving dinner was amazing as always and I have to give props to my mom and dad, Aunt Karen, and Grandma for the food. Also Sarah who made amazing cheesecake and Apple pie that was soooooooo good. I ate way to much but it was so worth it.
My parents completed the theater room in their new house which is so cool. It is definatly better than any theater that I have ever been in. We watched football, played the Wii and Wii fit and watched movies everyday. I am so grateful for the best family ever. My parents are amazing and take care of my little family. They are always there for me and are so caring. I am so grateful for the family that I married in too. They are amazing and I could not ask for better in-laws. I love them so much.
I was having so much fun that I forgot to take a lot of pictures but here are some cute ones of Blake and his cousin Dallin. My mom bought them matching outfits for the pictures. You can't really tell from the pictures but they look so much alike in person. It really is so weird to see how similar they are in their mannerisms, sounds they make, and how much they look alike. Dallin is 9 months older than Blake. They could definatly pass for brothers.
We were so sad when it was Monday morning and we had to leave for the airport for our flight. Little did we know it would be a very long day. Right before we left I got a call from the airline saying that our flight was delayed from 1:35 to 3:40. We still had to take Aunt Karen to the airport because her plane left and 1:05. We then got a call that our plane was now changed to 3:00. We left and drove the 1 1/2 hours to the airport. We got to the airport and dropped my Aunt Karen off. My mom then took us to lunch and we talked until we had to go back to the airport. We said goodbye to my mom and went to check in. We went through security which is such a pain with a baby. First I had to take my shoes, belt and sweater off. Then I had to take Blake's shoes off (who would hide something in baby shoes????) I had to take Blake's little sweater off. We then had to fold up the carseat and sent it through the conveyer belt and walk through the metal detector only to have to put everything back on which took another ten minutes. Then a security guy came up and took Blake's sippy cup that had apple juice in it out of the bag and said that he had to go test the liquid in it to see what it was. WHAT??????? So then once we were cleared and all dressed and got Blake's juice back we started walking to our gate that was at the very end of the airport. At this time is was about 2:00 which is half an hour later from when we were originally supposed to have been on the plane. Before we walked to the terminal I checked the board that had departing flight times to make sure we were still good for 3:00 departure. To my horror I saw our flight number and the time on the board said 1:35 and at the gate. HOLY MOLY!!! They changed it back and we were late. Ryan and I started sprinting down the long hallway with Blake in our arms to get to the very last gate to try to catch our flight. When we finally reached the gate we realized no one had boarded yet. WHAT was going on? I went to the desk and asked what was going on and told the guy that the board said the plane was at the gate and the departure time was at 1:35. He said, Oh, I'm sorry, the plane still leaves at 3:00. We don't control those boards and what they say. By this time I had to sit down to catch my breath. The airline gave us each a 7 dollar voucher for dinner and told us to take a seat. At about 3:30 the flight guy got on his little microphone and said, "I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen. The plane has a maintenance problem. Unfortunately the maintenance men can not find it. The plane is now delayed until 5:00 pm. GRRRRR!!! We sat there for another half hour and I told Ryan that I was not comfortable flying on a plane that has something wrong and they don't know what it is after hours of trying to fix it. Then the microphone came back on and said, "I'm sorry they still don't know what is wrong. We will try putting you passengers on other flights to Vegas from other airlines or you can stick around and wait for the plane that may or may not take off today. By the time he was done speaking the line was out of control and I was trying to pick Blake up to go get in line but it was useless. We continued to wait and Blake was so tired. A few minutes later the microphone said that all flights were full and overbooked and that we could try to get standby tickets or reschedule for Tuesday. I was getting so mad. Blake was tired and I knew we couldn't wait there any longer for a 5% chance that we might get onto a different plane. I went and stood in another line for 30 minutes to see what I could do. I ended up getting tickets for Tuesday night at 7:45 pm. I called my mom who was on her way back to Logan and she turned around and came to get us. That night when we finally got back to my parents house by dad called the airline and told them what had happened and the airline gave us two free round trip tickets to anywhere in the US. (THANKS DAD) We spent the day on Tuesday playing and then that night drove another 1 1/2 hours back to the airport. We had to go back through security which took longer this time because we had the stroller and finally got on our plane and got home last night at about 9 pm which is only 31 hours after we were supposed to get home originally. What a day!!!!!! At least Blake did well on the plane and loved looking out the windows.
That was our exciting day at the airport. I am thankful that we did get home safely and that we were able to spend another day with my family. Hope everyone else had a great holiday.

Things About Me!!

2008-11-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my sister-in-law's blog and thought it looked like fun. This is what you do. Go to google and type in the subject of the question in the image section, choose you favorite picture. It can be random or not just don't explain yourself afterward.

1.Where I was born 2.Where I want to live (at least for the next 4 years)

3.My first real job

4.Where I live now

5.A bad habit of mine

6.Favorite Food

7.My maiden name (The Great Orme)

8.My Grandmother's names

9.My college experience

10.My nickname from my husband

11.Something that makes me happy these days

12.My age

13.My name

14.Hubby's name

15.Kids name

This is so funny!!

2008-11-19T20:37:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Getting Ready For Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-18T19:04:00.000-08:00

Today Blake and I went to our Mommy and Baby playgroup and made some turkey hats for Thanksgiving. We had so much fun playing with the other Mom's and baby's. Here are some pictures of Blake with his little turkey hat he made for Thankgiving.

He Did It!!

2008-11-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

I just have to say how much I love my husband and appreciate everything he does for our little family. I am so proud of him. Yesterday afternoon we got the call that we have been waiting for. Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Parker Colorado called and officially accepted Ryan into their Medical School. We are so excited. It is hard to plan your future when you arn't sure what is going to happen but we have a pretty good idea now. Ryan has been working and studying so hard and he definately deserves this. Ryan will be such an amazing doctor because I know how much he loves and cares for every person he meets. He makes me such a better person by just being around him and I know that he will make a huge impact in this world.

It will be hard and I'm sure difficult to move away from Vegas to a place where we know no one and where we have never been before but I believe this change will be good for us. We will continue to build our family and do the best we can in Parker. I am sure there are friends and people that we will meet that will be a big part of our new lives and we will never forget the people here that have been in our lives. I am excited for this new chapter in our lives and for what new challenges it will bring. Thank you to everyone who has been keeping us in their thoughts and prayers because they have definately paid off. We love you all and will always love Vegas because this is where we met,got married, and had our beautiful baby boy. We will be moving from Vegas on December 17th. I would love to get together with anyone before we leave. Again CONGRATS TO RYAN. YOU ARE SO AMAZING!!

Of all the toys........

2008-11-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

Of all of Blakes toys.......

This is his favorite!!!

Why do we even buy toys?

Update!!

2008-11-13T14:47:00.000-08:00

This past week has been kinda slow going for us. On Monday Ryan left at 4:30 in the morning after not sleeping at all that night to go to Parker, CO for a interview for medical school. He said everything went well and we will find out on Monday if he has benn accepted. I am so proud of him for all that he has been doing to get to this point. He works so hard and is going to be a great doctor. He returned home that same night at 11 p.m. It was definately a long day for him.

The next few days we just kind of relaxed at home. On Tuesday night the temperature had finally come down a little bit so we decided to take Blake to the park and lay on the grass so he could play around. We had a lot of fun there but only stayed for about a half hour because it got dark very fast and I am not so fond of going to parks at night anymore after being mugged a year and a half ago but that is another story. Blake loves to crawl around and try to eat the grass before Ryan and I can get to him and take it away. This week I have started to de-junk our apartment so I can start to pack for our move. We are getting pretty excited for the next few months even though they are going to be action packed. In two weeks we are flying to Logan for Thanksgiving with my family. Then two weeks after that on December 16th Ryan will graduate from UNLV. The day after he graduates we are going to have our moving truck ready to go and my parents are so wonderful that they are going to drive that trailer back to Logan for Ryan and I. That same day we will be leaving to drive up to Hawthorne to spend some time and Christmas with Ryan's family. We will be in Hawthorne for a couple of weeks and then drive to Logan for New Years. We are going to be in Logan for about 8 months and then we will be off to Med school in August.
We are excited for the changes that are coming up in the next few years and I know that they are going to make us grow closer as a family and a couple. This is a very exciting time in our lives and I welcome the challenges and know that they will only make us stronger. I will continue to update everyone what is going on but for now we will just try to do our best

Happy Birthday Dad!!

2008-11-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

Today is my dad's birthday and I wanted to tell him how much I love him and appreciate him. He is such an example to me and I look up to him so much. My dad has always been there for me whenever I needed him. He loves me so much and calls me just to let me know that he is thinking about me. My dad is such a great grandpa to Blake and will be to his future grandchildren. My dad has always worked hard for his family and his family is his first priority. I am so grateful for him and my mom helping my little family out whenever we need help. He is such an example and friend to everyone he knows. I love you so much Dad and can't wait to be able to move to Logan in a month and be able to see you everyday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!

What Is That Face????

2008-11-05T19:58:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks Ryan and I have noticed that Blake has started to pull this hillarious face. He scrunches up his nose and sticks out his lips and then huffs in and out. It happens all the time. It was so funny so we started to take pictures of him and he actually started to pose for the camera with this face. I don't know if it is phase but it sure is funny . Here are a few faces that Blake has pulled lately.

Blake's First Halloween!!

2008-11-03T21:18:00.000-08:00

So I am going to combine a few posts here since I am behind and write about trunk or treat and Halloween. Last Wednesday we did trunk or treat with our ward and it was so much fun. Blake dressed up as a monkey and he was so stinkin cute. We went with our friends Colter and Chris and their little 1 month old who dressed as a skeleton. He was so adorable. When we got to the church we saw some of our friends Brian and Julie Noorda and they had their little girl dressed as a monkey also. I got the brilliant idea to get some pictures of the two together. They were so cute. Here are some pictures of the two of them together. Tayla is about 2 months younger than Blake.

My mom, grandma and sister came down the weekend before Halloween and got to see Blake in his costume. Here are some pictures of Jill with Blake.

For Halloween Ryan, Blake and I were able to go to Hawthorne to spend time with his family and go trick or treating. It was so much fun to see them and Brandon had a blast trick or treating with Blake.

Halloween day we were able to carve a bunch of pumpkins that they had grown in their garden. They turned out really good. I made one that said West '08 and another that said Blake. It was so much fun.

Then it was time for trick or treating. In Hawthorne, trick or treating is only from 6 to 8 o'clock. We walked for a full two hours. For the most part I held Blake and went up to the doors with him. After awhile my arms were killing me and I had to put him in the stroller. It was so much fun and everyone loved Blake.

The next day was so windy in Hawthorne. Brandon took his tent outside and we played in it for a while and got some cute pictures of Blake in the tent.

Here is one more picture that we got before we left to come home.

We had so much fun this past weekend and Blake had a great Halloween. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Happy Birthday Jill!!

2008-11-03T21:06:00.000-08:00

This is a few days late due to me misplacing my camera cord and going on vacation but I wanted to tell my sister Jill Happy Birthday. Her birthday was on the 1st and she turned 20. I can't believe that my little sister is that old. CRAZY!! Anyway I just wanted to say what a great sister she is and what a wonderful aunt she is to Blake. She has grown up to be such a beautiful woman and an amazing person in general. So to the best sister in the world.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Happy Birthday Brandon!!

2008-10-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

Today is Brandon's (Ryan's little brother) birthday. He is ten years old and growing so quick. He is such an awesome kid and I am so glad that he is my brother too. He is such a great uncle to Blake and always calls to ask how little Blakey is doing. We are so excited to be able to go and see him and the rest of the family in Hawthorne this weekend to go trick or treating for Halloween. I just wanted to tell Brandon how awesome he is and that we are way excited to see him soon. Happy Birthday B-dog!!!

My ABC's

2008-10-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

A- Attached or Single? Attached at the hip:) B- Best Friend? Hubby Ryan Poo!! As for a girl it would be Alyson.

C- Cake or Pie? hmm...MMM... My favorite two cakes are rainbow chip and german chocolate. Yummy. Now I want cake.

D- Day of Choice? Sunday because Ryan is home and doesn't study. Also I get to take a nap. Oh how I love my naps.E- Essential Item? My camera!! I have an obssesion with taking pictures of Blake.

F- Favorite Color? Yellow

G- Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms? Gummy bears

H- Hometown? Logan, Utah and Henderson, Nv. I have live in Nevada longer now than I did Utah.

I- Favorite Indulgence? I love oreos. I also like no bake cookies. YUM YUM

J- January or July? In Vegas, January because I can walk outside and not die of heat stroke.

K- Kids? Baby Blake

L- Life isn't complete without? Family and Friends

M- Movie favorite? I love chick flicks....even the cheesy ones.... they make me feel good.

N- Number of Brothers and Sisters? 2 brothers 1 sister- 4 brother in laws 4 sister in laws. (This is some of them)

O- Oranges or Apples? Apples

P- Phobias or Fears? I hate bugs... any and all types. Also my biggest fear although no one would guess is water. I am terrified of drowning. I think my biggest fear of all is losing Ryan or Blake. I don't think I could handle it.

Q- Quote? "Family is like fudge...mostly sweet with a few nuts." "If life gives you lemons, make Koolade. Then watch and laugh as people try to figure that one out:)"

R- Reason to Smile? Blake started to crawl yesterday and Ryan got an interview for med school:)

S- Season of Choice? Fall, I love the colors and the weather

T- Tag a friend: Everyone reading

U- Unknown Fact About Me? I have applied like 20 times to get on the show Wheel of Fortune. NO luck yet.

V- Vegetable? Corn. I love every type of corn other than cream corn. It kind of wierds me out.

W- Worst Habit? When I am nervous I bite my nail.

X- X-ray or ultrasound? Oh I've had plenty of both. At least with Ultrasound I got to see my baby before he was born.

Y- Your Favorite Food? Chicken roll-ups and Mashed Red potatoes.

Z- Zodiac Sign? Leo

Cold Applesauce!!

2008-10-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

So Blake loves his fruit and especially applesauce. This morning I fed him some bananas and he was still hungry so I decided to grab the applesauce that was in the fridge. Usually we warm it up a little so it is not so cold but he was screaming in baby words "NOW MOMMY, NOW!! I'M STILL HUNGRY!!" Ok Ok, so when I gave him the applesauce and put it in his mouth he kept making this adorable "this is to cold" face. I just had to get it on camera.

Ok I know everyone did this as a child... Blake: Mom do you like seafood? Me: Ewww gross no way. Blake: Well I do.... SEE FOOD :) Me: You are too cute!!!

Here is a few pictures of Blake getting ready for the winter in Hawthorne and Logan. He has never really experienced cold:)

Here is a new game we are going to play. I want everyone that sees this to play if you can. It' s called the caption game. Whan do you think that Blake is thinking in this picture? I'm thinking like "I really wish I knew where I put my last crunchy star....Sigh."

Through the exer-saucer!!!

2008-10-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was watching T.V. and when I looked down I saw that Blake had crawled into his saucer toy to try to get a piece of food. I was amazed that he actually got into it and then proceeded to watch him crawl out the other side. Don't worry I got it all documented in pictures which now you can all witness for yourselves. Also for the past couple months Blake has only worn onesies to bed because it is so hot here. This same night it was pretty cold outside so I decided that Blake could actually were real pajamas. I think these pajamas are adorable personally but you be the judge. Anyway here is Blake's journey through the exersaucer. Enjoy!!

Here is a cute after bath picture also.

How many of us are there?

2008-10-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Melissa's blog (thank you) and thought it was pretty interesting. So here it is....
In the United States there are 412 people with the name Heather West.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
412
people with my name in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

I also checked my maiden name and there are only a total of 5 people in the US with the name Heather Orme. That is a pretty big jump up to 412 people. Who Knew????

In the United States there are 408 people named Ryan West.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
408
people with my name in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

In the United States there are only 45 people with the name Blake West.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
45
people with my name in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Blake's First Word!!

2008-10-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

Blake has said his first word and he enjoys saying it all day long which is so cute. "Dada, dada, dada, dad." He sure loves his dad. I was on the phone with Ryan and said to Blake, "Dad is calling" and this is what Blake said to me........

I am glad this is his first word because I told Ryan that when Blake wakes up in the middle of the night and starts calling out Dada it would be his Dada that he would want to come get him. So I think that Blake can take his sweet time to learn Mama and I am more than OK with that. (Only because he doesn't need to know Mama to get me to come to his every beck and call. This little boy has me wrapped around all 10 fingers.....which is also the case when he grabs a handful of my hair but that is a painful different story.)

Getting closer to crawling

2008-10-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, here is Blake attempting to crawl. Hope you enjoy.

A day at the Park!!

2008-10-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday morning the women in my ward have a play day at the park for all of their children. Blake and I have never gone before because it is always during his nap time. Today however Blake had slept in and we had some time to kill before his first nap so I decided we should go and play.

We had so much fun at the park and Blake loved playing with the other kids. Blake is not to fond of the grass and gets a super cute funny face when i put him on to it. On the other hand when he gets over the shock of the prickly feeling he is so mesmorized by it and loves to pull it out.

We also went on the swings for the first time and he was almost falling asleep in my lap because he is used to his swing at home and how relaxing it is.

We had a great morning and in the five minutes it took to drive home Blake had fallen asleep in his carseat. He is now napping peacefully and hopefully he will take an extra long nap so I can clean the house. Here are some pictures from this morning. If you double click on some of them you can see his bottom teeth.