Giving it her All: Jennifer loves her family and friends with all her heart, and she also has a heart for her patients and many others

Her good friend and boss Abby describes her as kind, generous, smart, funny, fun, curious, adventurous, driven, fit and beautiful.

Her daughter Sarah describes her as hardworking, serious and committed.

Her husband Andrew describes her as beautiful, organized, giving, sacrificial, family-oriented and brainy.

And this is just scratching the surface of how much Jennifer West’s family and friends admire her. They see her as a wonderful, selfless individual who would do anything for anybody, and they know she puts her best foot forward in every aspect of her life.

“Jen is currently working full-time, taking on additional tasks at her full-time job (like improvement of the relationship between two offices at work), plus she works PRN in the ED at the only level one trauma center in Albuquerque, and she is finishing her bachelor’s degree,” Abby said. “All of this is a lot… yet she does it while finding time to maintain, develop and flourish in a marriage, motherhood, friendships, relationships with extended family, travel, home ownership, and care of pets. There’s nothing she can’t do. To say she’s a trooper is an understatement. Jen is simply incredible.”

She’s incredible. She is strong. She is a true saint of a woman.

In fact, when Abby said there is nothing Jen cannot do, that was not an exaggeration. Jen’s got the most amazing personality of anyone any of her family members and friends know, and they all feel honored to have her in their lives.

“She’s been a military spouse for 17 years and that is a hard job,” Andrew said. “She had to raise three kids with me going away all the time. She was so selfless. She put her career on hold and let me pursue my professional goals.”

Andrew knows it was never easy, but at the same time he always got a little comfort in knowing that, when he was gone, he had the best pillar of the family back home to support and love on their children.

Speaking of their children, Sarah, Lucas and Nick all love their mother with all their hearts. She is the kind of mom who keeps on top of their schedules, and at the same time she is just always doing things with them. She makes life memorable for them too (just ask Sarah about the cockroach incident), and they could not imagine their lives without Jen.

“My mom means the entire world to me,” Sarah said. “She is my best friend and she has made me into the person I am today. She is always there for me no matter what and she is just so fun to be around.”

When Lucas was asked what makes his mom special, he responded, “She’s nice and kind, but that’s too simple. She’s always there for you. She really listens to me.”

Jen brings a sense of joy to her kids, as she is always uplifting and encouraging them. She is their biggest cheerleader in life, and she also has instilled many great morals and values into them.

Nick describes Jen like this: “She works really hard and gives me hugs when she’s been working all day. She helps me solve problems that I need help with like picking out clothes or Halloween costumes. She let me pick where we ate for my whole birthday!”

What she has also done is provide great balance for the kids. Jen is the kind of mother who can be hard on her kids when she needs to be, but for the most part she is something of a friend to them.

“When I can’t get them to do anything with my iron fist approach, Jen steps in and easily gains their buy in. I still have a lot to learn from her,” Andrew said.

She is also a great role model to her kids, and they are afforded many wonderful opportunities because of her.

“Jen is a good mom because she knows how and when to be serious, how and when to be fun, and how and when to let things go,” Abby said. “She wants and finds a way to provide any opportunity to her family.”

She does a great job of that too, as Jen’s family lives the good life. She does not beat around the bush and she keeps on top of her kids, and she also does what she can to create special moments with them.

“What makes her a good mom is that she will always give it to me straight and won’t sugarcoat anything, which overall helps me grow,” Sarah said. “And she has put so much time and energy into making sure that me and my siblings have the best childhood experience possible.”

From taking them on adventures to helping them with their homework, Jen shows up and she shows out, and she makes life special for her children.

She does the same thing for the father of her children too. Her husband Andrew knows that Jen brings out the best in him each and every day, and that she always has his back. They have been able to endure life’s hardships and triumphs because they have endured them together.

“Jen has been the most dependable person I’ve ever had in my life,” Andrew said.

Andrew can rely on his wife to be there for him, and so many others around her can say the same. She is loyal and trustworthy, and she can also be a shoulder to lean on.

“Jen cares for others deeply and wants them to feel seen… and cared for,” Abby said. “She can find something interesting or positive about anyone.”

Jen is the kind of woman who sees the glass as half full. She is so full of positivity, and she is not afraid to give people the benefit of the doubt.

She is super caring as well, especially when it comes to her patients. She is the kind of nurse that makes a hospital stay a little more bearable for a patient. Andrew remembers that “she’s received many letters from appreciative patients over the years. That doesn’t happen to most nurses. She must be doing an amazing job.”

Jen is also the kind of friend who makes life a lot more bearable and enjoyable. She is the life of the party and she brings joy wherever she goes… along with her big ole heart.

“Jen is such a nice person,” Andrew said. “She’s fun to be around. She’s magnetic. People are drawn to her because she’s always smiling and easy to talk to.”

Jen is approachable and loving, and she would truly give the shirt off her back to someone who needed it.

“What makes my mom so good to others is she is super selfless, and if you need anything, my mom is the one to call,” Sarah said. “Whether it’s advice or a favor or just someone to go out with, she’s got you. My mom is also one of the funniest people I have ever met and can always make me laugh and brighten my day.”

Jen always has a smile on her face and tries her best to bring smiles to the faces of others. She is the epitome of strength and keeping the fight as well, as Sarah’s birth made sure to test that. She is also the kind of friend you want to go on vacation with or have drinks with.

This is Jennifer West in a nutshell, as she is such an outstanding and wonderful person.

“I care about you deeply. Thank you for working so hard for this family. I want to make all your dreams come true.” – Andrew