Go Cardinals!

It's tee-ball time! David is so excited to be playing tee-ball this year! He's definitely the smallest (and youngest) one on the team, but he doesn't mind. He chases every ball that's hit, no matter where it goes or what position he's playing. :) He had his first game this morning and it was so much fun to watch! Moments like this remind me why motherhood is so precious!

Ready to play!

First in line to give the other team high fives

He loved being the "pitcher"

A little help from Coach Jensen (James' long time friend from SUU)

First at bat

Steven wants to be on the team too



Pre-game warm up



Our little Cardinal!



Can you tell we've been working on his throwing technique? :)

Spiderman Steven watching the game

30!!!!

This past Wednesday I turned 30. The big 3-0! What a great feeling it is to reach a milestone in life, with a sense of accomplishment for where you are. I love my life! My sweet husband knows me like nobody else in this world and loves me anyway. ;) He truly is my other half. I have 3 little boys that I just cherish! They make me laugh on a daily basis (and frustrate me probably as often :) ) They each have their own distinct personalities and I thoroughly enjoy listening to their conversations to each other. I have the best parents & in-laws a girl could ask for. They are all so willing to help whenever we need it. They remind us of their love for myself and our family by small acts of kindness regularly. My siblings, along with James' also, are awesome! I love the inside jokes and family stories we tell. Living far away from both of our families has really reminded me how much I love and appreciate them. I cherish our memories when we get together. I have great friends! When we moved to Kanab, I was worried about being even further away from my family and friends. Little did I know that I would make a new family here. Our friends here have become our family. I have girlfriends that I have laughed with, cried with and so much more. Sometimes, they are the glue that holds me together. James and I both have great jobs. We both enjoy our jobs and are so grateful for everything they provide for our family. I have a Heavenly Father who has blessed me with all of this and so much more. He knows my heart and has forgiven me for my wrong doings. With all of this, who would mind turning 30???


I can't write a post about my birthday and not give kudos to my wonderful husband for the gift he surprised me with. That lovable man of mine sent me to St. George with 2 of my best friends for an all day spa day! We each enjoyed a massage, a facial and a pedicure! Such a nice break to get away from our everyday hectic lives and just chat and laugh together.  We then had lunch at my favorite restaurant, Red Lobster! After a bit of shopping too, I made it home in time for plenty of playing and dinner with my family. A picture perfect day!

Easter with the West Boys

Happy Easter from our silly family! The boys had a great Saturday morning dyeing eggs and 4-wheeling with Daddy. While they were gone, the crazy Easter Bunny brought Easter baskets to our house and hid their freshly painted eggs all over the backyard! Luckily the boys found every last one. Phew!

On Sunday, we were happy to go to church as a family and learn about Jesus' resurrection. It's such an awesome thing when your kids start growing up and begin to understand the lessons that we teach. What a beautiful gift Jesus gave to all of us. Happy Easter!

100 Day Challenge

A little over a week ago, I was chatting with a good friend of mine about needing motivation to lose weight and get healthy. Without putting a lot of thought into it, we decided to start a contest with a "few" of our friends. It would be a 100 Day Challenge from March 1st-June 8th. With a $20 buy-in from each participant, we figured a little prize money would make it fun! So, we spread the word on Facebook. And that spread turned into a wildfire! We've had over 70 people say "I'm in!!!" As of today, we have actually received over $600, along with each person's starting weight and "before" pictures! We'll see how many of those 70 actually commit by our deadline, this Sunday.

With this contest going on, I am feeling extremely motivated! I've been getting up at 6am (ok... 6:15am) every morning to work out before I have to get the kids and myself ready. As of today, I have lost 4.2 pounds! My goal weight is only 25.8 pounds away! That'll get me where I was when James & I met. Not an unrealistic goal. :)

So, wish me luck! And hopefully the next time you see me, I'm a little smaller. :)

A Superhero Halloween!

Oh, what a wonderful Halloween we had this year! The boys were so excited to be a family of Superheros! James was Batman (although we missed the photo op), Keri was Super Mom, David was Iron Man, Steven was Spiderman and Jared was Captain America! Good times! Throughout the month of October, we celebrated Halloween quite a bit. We attended 2 Trunk or Treats, a neighborhood after-school party, David's preschool party and classroom trick or treat, even Keri got involved with an all-girl Halloween party with friends. What a fun holiday!

Our superheros

Our sweet baby Jared

David's Preschool Class

Story time in class

Trick or treating in the high school

Keri's girlfriend party

Lots of fun girls!

Mommy & David

Captain America Jared

Best Buddies

After school neighborhood Halloween party

Our 5th Anniversary

So for the last week I have been planning a surprise for my wonderful wife of five years. Keri has been in Salt Lake with her family with the last week and with our up coming 5th anniversary I thought I would take advantage of the situation and surprise her with a little get away.

It started with Keri going shopping with her parents in Park City. I was already in town so as they were shopping I surprised her in the shops. After continuing the shopping we enjoyed a nice dinner with her parents at Redrock Junction, which was awesome and I would recommend to anyone. After that Keri's parents left to go watch our 3 boys for the night so I could continue in the anniversary surprise. We then went to the movies together. Something that we haven't been able to do in a year or so. I then took her to the Grand Summit lodge for the night and we will leave that at that. The next morning I had scheduled a Fishing guide to meet us and take us out and teach Keri how to fly fish. It was amazing, and she was a trooper. Such beautiful country and the leaves are beginning to change. Our guide was very informative and patient. Keri caught the first fish, a nice size 8 incher, at least that's what I thought since that's what i am used to in the northern Idaho mtns. I had several hit I was having a hard time setting the hook at first then i got my first one a 12 incher. Then later I had a big hit, it took 10 or 15 min to get the fish warn out with help from our guide we got him in the net. A 21 inch brown trout. biggest trout I have ever caught it was amazing. Keri and I finished our 12 hour date with lunch and then headed down the mountain. What a great celebration of 5 years. If eternity is as fun and adventurous as the last 5 years then I am glad I am doing it with Keri!!

Here are some pictures to show the fun!!

Kanab City Council

Politics in a small town sure are crazy! For those of you that didn't know, James ran for City Council this month. There were a total of 8 people running with only 3 spots to fill. It was definitely competitive. James knew he was the underdog, going against people who have raised their kids here and have been residents for 30+ years. But he got his name out there. The primary election was yesterday and he unfortunately didn't make the cut. He still got 200+ votes though. Not bad for the "new guy" in town. Even though he didn't make it this year, it sure was fun to be a part of the process. He ran a good campaign. We put signs up all over town, went door to door, was interviewed for the newspaper and participated in 2 public forums to get his ideas heard. I'm very proud of my man and the boys are very proud of their daddy! :)