Happy Halloween!

What a fun holiday! This year, we decided to have a little fun with our costumes. Instead of having the same costumes as all the other little boys, we were a family of clowns! I bought mine and David's, but my wonderful mother made Steven's in just a few hours! Amazing! My aunt and uncle had an awesome Halloween Party at their house in Alpine. They even set up a kiddie pool in the garage full of dried corn kernels and candy. The kids got to collect the candy, but Steven just enjoyed throwing the corn kernels. James had to stay in Kanab, so he got out of his dressing up obligation. Bummer! But the boys and I had a blast clowning around! Hehe!

Our littlest clown

David LOVED his clown hat

My parents, the pirates

Just a few of my nieces and nephews

Steven throwing the corn kernels

One of the kid tables at the party

Mommy & boy clowns

Big hat, Big wig

We celebrated Halloween on Saturday night with my brothers' families. Even though it was quite a cold and rainy evening, the kids still had a blast Trick or Treating! David did his best to keep up with his older cousins. And I was so proud to hear him say, "Tweet Treat" and "Thank You" all by himself. He's growing up so fast!

David Trick or Treating with his cousins

Clown David with cousin, Dr. Rylen

Go David Go!

Summer in September

This year, the month of September felt more like summer than fall. We decided to take a hike in Zions National Park to enjoy the weather. It was a 2.2 mile hike along the river and was just beautiful! James carried Steven in the backpack and David walked the whole thing (besides the last 5 minutes, when he was exhausted and practically sleep-walking) by himself. When we got to the top, we were able to let the boys play in the river for a while. Of course they enjoyed that! And David was fascinated by all the friendly critters that came out to say hello. It was so nice to get out and enjoy God's handiwork as a family. We are so grateful to live in such beautiful country. Enjoy the pics!

Surprise for Papa & G-G!

Good times! Papa & G-G came out to Salt Lake City last weekend to visit Papa's family for Labor Day. At the last minute, James & I decided to drive up and surprise them! Even though we were up there for less than 48 hours, it was worth it! We got to visit with them Saturday night at The Chocolate, my sister's fabulous dessert bakery in Orem. Then we had lunch and playtime at Nana & Papa West's house in downtown SLC. It was a wonderful weekend!
The boys loved playing with Papa & G-G!

A duet

James' cousin Dawn & her husband Craig

David loves his Papa!

Handsome Papa & Beautiful Nana

Silly West's :)

Papa & Nana with 6 of their great-grandchildren

We love Family!

4 Generations of West Men!

Ensign Peak & Utah State Capitol

David wrestling with Papa

David learned to tickle feet

Tickling G-G

Playing with Papa

Papa, G-G, Keri, David, James & Steven West

Heavenly Idaho

James' bridge jump!

David LOVES the water!

Hilarious! Cousins Rylen & David sportin' goggles (and underoos)

The men replacing broken boards on the dock

David loves Daddy's pancakes

Mommy & Steven going for a ride

James & I loved our tube ride

Captain Steven

David's favorite thing... pushing Mom & Dad off the dock

Sisters... Ange & I

David & Daddy going for a ride

Sweet Steven

Not a good idea to wait until naptime for a family picture

My parents with my nieces and nephews

Oh, what a wonderful trip to Idaho we had! Our family was able to go for 10 days, and it was so worth it. This year, we were able to introduce my family to beautiful Coeur d'Alene! It was so fun to share what has become such a special place for James & I, with my family. My parents were able to relax more than I have seen them in years! And it was so nice to watch all my nieces and nephews enjoy each other's company, without the distraction of facebook, cell phones and other forms of communication with the outside world. It was an exciting (yet relaxing) week of wakeboarding, kayaking, waverunning, jumping off the dock, reading in the hammock, night boat rides, bridge jumping, too much eating, game-playing, visiting and loving. We even did our share of maintenance at the house and everyone had a great attitude. We replaced boards on the dock, bought & replaced the dock stairs, pulled weeds, swept stairs, cleaned windows, gutters... all in 2 hours! It's amazing what you can do when you've got the man-power with happy hearts! :) We also got to visit with James' Nana & Papa, The Old Man (love you Grandpa Warren) and Grandma Ann, Grandmama Mary, Aunt Peggy & Uncle Neil. We definitely made the most of our 10 days. We have tons of pictures, so enjoy!

A big thanks to James' dad & Gloria for letting us take over the lakehouse for the week. It is such a beautiful home filled with breathtaking views and wonderful memories. It truly is heaven on Earth.