With five kids, a love of football and dance, and a passion for helping young people thrive, Anthony and Ursala have built a busy, joyful life centered around family and community.

If there’s one thing you can count on in Anthony and Ursala’s household, it’s that someone is probably headed to a football field, a dance studio, a school activity - or cheering someone else on from the sidelines.

The Jacksonville natives have called RiverTown home for seven years, choosing the community because they wanted something special for their children: the chance to grow up alongside the same friends they saw at school, in the neighborhood and at activities.

“We wanted our kids to form long-lasting friendships with kids that they attend school with,” Anthony says.

With five children, plenty of sports and dance, a beloved dog and an extended community they’ve become deeply involved in, life has turned out to be every bit as full as they hoped.

Anthony and Ursala have their best friends to thank for bringing them together. They introduced the pair, and, as Anthony puts it, “We have been inseparable ever since.”

Both grew up in Jacksonville but followed different paths after high school. Anthony attended Hibbing College in Minnesota before a car accident changed his plans and led him to technical college. He now works as a Senior Systems Engineer for Alivia Care Inc.

Ursala attended Columbus State University, where she was a member of the dance team. Dance continues to be a big part of her life today as a teacher at 3 N Motion Dance Company - and it has certainly rubbed off on the next generation.

In fact, when it comes to the family’s athletic abilities, Anthony is happy to set the record straight.

Tristan, who is attending college and pursuing a degree in computer programming while playing football, is also a talented dancer.

“A lot of people don’t know that he got all of it from his mom, Ursala,” Anthony says.

And Tristan is just one member of this active crew.

Lucas enjoys football and plays for his middle school, while Jase is excelling in homeschool and discovering that sometimes the things that don’t come easily at first can become the most rewarding.

Football was initially a struggle for Jase, but good coaches and plenty of encouragement from his family kept him going. The persistence paid off. He now enjoys playing and continues to improve on the field.

Harlow, the youngest, is enjoying preschool and already following Mom’s lead with dance classes at 3 N Motion.

JT (Ernest) has a completely different passion. He plans to attend culinary arts school and hopes to one day become a private chef.

With interests ranging from computer programming and football to dance and culinary arts, there’s no shortage of personality - or conversation - around this family’s dinner table.

More Than a Family Activity

For Anthony and Ursala, supporting kids doesn’t stop with their own.

Over the years, both have played a role in creating new opportunities for students in the surrounding community.

Ursala has helped start dance teams at Freedom Crossing, Hallowes Cove, Swiss Point and Trout Creek, sharing not only her knowledge of dance but also the confidence, teamwork and sense of belonging that can come from being part of a team.

Anthony has done much the same through football.

He was part of the coaching staff that helped establish the Freedom Crossing football team. Just three years after the program began, the team celebrated a championship. Anthony remained with Freedom Crossing for five years before moving on to help start the football program at Hallowes Cove.

It’s easy to understand why the family describes themselves simply as a “sports and dance family.” Their involvement goes well beyond attending games and performances. They’ve helped create places where other children can participate, learn and find their own place on a team.

For all the places their busy schedules take them, the family also appreciates being able to slow down and enjoy home.

One of their favorite spots in RiverTown is the RiverHouse, where they enjoy hanging out together with the kids. They also look forward to one of the community’s biggest traditions each year: the Fourth of July celebration.

“The fireworks are amazing, and we get to enjoy it with our family and friends,” Anthony says.

Those moments are a big part of what they hoped to find when they first chose RiverTown seven years ago - a place where their children’s school friends could also become neighborhood friends and where family memories could be shared with the people around them.

Family traditions are important outside RiverTown, too. Thanksgiving is typically spent with Anthony’s family, while Christmas is reserved for time with Ursala’s family.

And when they’re looking for a getaway, Utah is a favorite.

One trip in particular stands out: celebrating Jase’s birthday in Ogden with a visit to a dinosaur park. It’s the kind of memory that perfectly fits this family - an adventure centered around one of the kids and enjoyed together.

Of course, there is one more family member who deserves an introduction.

Thalia joined the household when Jase was only six months old and has been part of the crew ever since. Intelligent and full of personality, she apparently never received the memo that she is a dog.

According to Anthony, Thalia acts “more like a human than a dog” - and after growing up in the middle of this close-knit family, perhaps that’s understandable.

Seven years into their RiverTown story, Anthony and Ursala are raising a family that knows how to work hard, try something new, cheer for one another and stay involved.

Whether they’re watching a child take the field, applauding from the audience at a dance performance, helping launch a new school program or simply gathering with friends for RiverTown fireworks, they’re doing what they set out to do when they moved here in the first place.

They’re giving their children a community to grow up in - and making plenty of memories along the way.