Blast from the Not-so-Distant Past

So my middle name is 'back tracking' because I found these pictures from Christmas time and realized I hadn't posted any of them. SO here I am back tracking like normal, but I guess it's better than not posting about things at all. I wanted to take some pics of them in their Christmas attire. Porter was so proud that he got to wear a suit jacket to church but by the time I wanted to take pictures, he's wasn't having it, so the tongue shot is the best I got of them together which also shows his personality so I was okay with it. Anyway, they are great kids and I can't get enough of them even if they are a little crazy at times. Merry super-belated Christmas from Brighton and Porter!

Sick Day

About a day after B suffered the head injury, she came down with a wicked cough/cold. It's in her chest and it just sounds awful, so we decided that we'd all have a sick day. Don't feel too sorry for us yet because the same day we had to hunker down inside, I slipped away for a second to check the mail. Lo and behold, the thoughtfulness fairy struck again! We received a box from my mom filled with anything and everything to 'make crafts' as Brighton likes to call it. She was able to color, cut, glue, and sequin to her heart's content all while nursing her illness. My mom seriously is guided when she sends thing to us because it's always what we were needing or talking about that day. Thanks so much Nana for the you and your grandmotherly instincts!

The Eye of the Tiger

The theme song in our family as of lately is Eye of the Tiger. The reasons are two-fold: 1. It is one of my all time favorite songs basically because I was obsessed with the Rocky movies in high school. No joke. I even drank a raw egg one time after I watched it. This song always pumps me up and I knew the kids would love it the minute they heard it. 2. Porter is potty training right now and is doing pretty well. When the kids first heard the song they thought it was saying 'I am a tiger' and after I corrected them and explained what having the 'Eye of the Tiger' meant, we've had to sing it to him when he goes potty so he can 'rise up to the challenge of his rival' (diapers) and win the race (being fully trained). It's been a fierce competition but I think Porter Balboa is gonna make it through all 15 rounds.

Walking on Sunshine

How does one spend her afternoon when it's 70 degrees outside in the middle of winter?

Well, first these little feet decide to go on a walk to...

stop and smell the flowers (that are still blooming in January I might add).

Then head home for a fun afternoon of

chalk and...

bubbles with little bro. Oh how I love Texas winters.

Jake & Janalyn Hope to Adopt

For some time I have had this button on my sidebar but never really explained myself for doing so. When Kyle and I were first married, we went to a married student ward at BYU-Idaho. I have to say it was the closest to Zion I've ever been. We made amazing friends there, we felt the spirit in all that we did there, and we were privileged enough to rub shoulders with some awe-inspiring church leaders. One of the amazing friends we met which I guess could be considered an awe-inspiring leader as well was Janalyn. Janalyn and Jake Owens. Janalyn was my relief society president and we were good friends. She would come to my pilates class with a smile on her face and make anyone around her feel like a million bucks. She was always looking for ways to serve others and when she bore her testimony it always brought tears to my eyes. She is so in love with her amazing husband as well, who is the nicest and sweetest cowboy you'll ever meet. Why am I ranting and raving about this ridiculously cool couple? Because they have had infertility struggles in the past and were finally blessed with a daughter but now want to expand their little trio and adopt. I seriously can't even begin to express how amazing they are and how deserving they are of receiving a beautiful little bundle of joy. Anyway, I just wanted to get the word out for their sake and tell everyone I know to look on their adoption blog and spread the word. Go meet them here! They're great!

Nurse Daddy to the Rescue

First off, I am not lying when I say that this is blood. It really is. And there was much more where it came from. Can you believe that this much blood...

came out of this little wound?

Today when Kyle was working out he put our removable pull-up bar on the door jam. While he was working on a different exercise, Brighton tried to shut the door that the pull-up bar was in. She didn't realize but that is a serious no-no because it makes the bar fall. Well, all Kyle and I heard was a loud bang and a painful scream. You know, the scream that makes your skin crawl and your heart jump into your throat and sends you into a whirlwind of panic. Kyle and I ran over to see what had happened and Brighton was crying. We started trying to calm her down when I noticed the giant blood stains on her shirt (from above). I started freaking out inside my head thinking she got stabbed in the back with the bar or something but I couldn't find any wounds. Soon we found little pools of blood in her hair. That's when we knew it was a head wound. She turned her head in one direction and the blood started to spray. It came in buckets at that point. Her shirt took a minor beating compared to our floor, clothes, the toilet, etc... I honestly have not seen that much blood since I pushed my sister off the bed in 9th grade and you could see her skull through that wound (okay, okay it's getting graphic. Sorry). So Kyle being the nurse that he is, brought her upstairs, calmed her down, gave her a shower, washed her wound, put medication on it, and checked for a concussion. All right before heading out the door for work! While Kyle was getting ready to leave for work Brighton says to me "Does Daddy have to go to work?" I replied "Yes he does." Then she says "I guess you can take care of me when he leaves." Lovely. I'm an afterthought. I guess we all need our Daddys to look like heroes in our own eyes and tonight B's Daddy really was hers. We are so proud of our medical professional and seriously don't know what we would do without him!

Oh and P.S. Daddy's patient is resting comfortably and is already back to her sprightly self.

Dapper Dude

For Christmas my sweet Grandparents actually went online and searched out a pair of little boy suspenders because my mom mentioned to her that Porter was so tiny in the waist that his pants constantly fall down. It's true. He's got no little bum and that's with a diaper on. I can't imagine what it will be like when he's potty trained! I'm continuously chasing after him trying to pull his pants up while they're around his ankles. It makes for a hilarious game. Anyway, when Porter opened them for Christmas he wasn't sure what they were but know every time I pull them out of the closet he squeals with excitement. I think it's because all the ladies at church oogle over him when he's got them on and he loves the attention. Anyhow, we love our little accountant. Or maybe he's a business tycoon in the 1950's. Either way he's our dapper little dude.

B's New Trick

Brighton has been so proud that she learned how to cross her eyes. Every morning during breakfast she'll say "Hey Mom!", I'll look up and she will be staring straight back at me all googly-eyed. Every time I turn a corner she's there crossing those eyes trying to get me to laugh. Every time I call for her she comes running in, stops promptly , closes her eyes, then opens them big and crossed. I do have to admit it is pretty hilarious when I see that head whip around and find a crazy pair of eyes looking back at me. The dinner table is her favorite place for her newfound comedic skill. It definitely makes for more laughing at the table. Porter was the comedian of the family but I think with B's new hilarity, she'll be giving him a run for his money.

So She Thinks She Can Dance

Brighton has taken ballet classes and now wants to take tap dancing lessons but when her parents are on a tight budget, that makes it difficult to continue her classes. So instead of enrolling her in another class, we decided to get her Just Dance for Kids on the Wii. It helps her get her groove on and we can all participate as a fam. I do have to admit, she is getting pretty good. She's got great rhythm and has already beat some of my scores. I guess the cheerleader genes in her are coming out early!

Big Spring Venture

Today we went to Big Srings. I've got a photo shoot for a client out there and we wanted to scope out the area in order to be a little more comfortable when I actually do the shoot. It was our first venture out there and we were not disappointed. I guess I should rephrase that. We were not disappointed with the amount of places to shoot pictures. While the town was pretty run down (cute, but run down) the rustic backdrops and scenery were perfect for what I was looking for. Brighton, Porter, and Kyle were my little guinea pigs and they were great subjects. We found Commanche Trail Park which was a great place for walking and running around with the kids. It was also one of the only places we have found with a lake! West Texas is lacking in the water sports and recreation department so that was an exciting thing for us to find. It was nice because we were able to make it a fun family day, all the while finding great locations to take pics. Two birds, one stone.

I'm Going There Someday

Today was the first time we were able to go to the Lubbock Temple. It's a 2 hour drive and with 2 kids it's tough to get out there but we finally made a day of it and it was so great to be there. We brought the kids and Kyle and I took turns going through. It was amazing. I learn something new every time I go. The architecture and decorum were gorgeous. I just had to throw in a picture of the windows. These sun rise-looking windows were throughout the temple. I loved them. The kids loved being able to spot Angel Moroni on the top. It was just a great day and I can't wait to go back.

Push it Real Good

Kyle was on the ground doing some push-ups the other day and usually Porter rides on his back like Kyle's his horse but Kyle thought it was time for Porter to get buff so he taught the kids the proper way to do a push-up. Brighton and Porter tried to keep up with him and actually did a good little job with their tiny bodies. It made me laugh every time their little booties stuck up in the air. Gotta love the little kids!

Go Fly a Kite!

When I was young, my parents had these 2 really nice kites that they would take with us wherever we went just in case there was a breeze. When I was 4 and we lived in the windy country of England we had a big field just beyond our backyard. We would take those kites out, get them up in the air, put an anchor in the ground with the string and sit in our lawn chairs watching them for hours. I have lots of good memories of those kites. A few years back my dad sent me a nice kite that looks just like our old box kites and I love it. Porter actually got one for Christmas from them too so now we have one for each of the kids and they love them. There was no question that we had to go take the kites out for a spin while Nana and G'Pops were here. We packed the lunches and the kites and the kids had so much fun. Brighton actually flew hers on her own and the second Porter tried to fly his by himself (per his request), he dropped it and Kyle had to go chase it down in a neighborhood close by. Once he finally got it back and it was up in the air again, the string broke and Kyle had to once more chase it down in the neighborhood. Now we call that one Lucky because we're lucky we still even have it. Flying the kites brought back some good memories and helped me create a new one. I think I've turned into my parents because now "Boxy" and "Lucky" come with us wherever we go in case there's a sharp Texas wind that we happen upon from time to time.

Our 2nd Christmas

New Year's Eve was like a 2nd Christmas for us because we received the greatest gift. My parents came to visit for 10 whole days! Whenever they come we have a lot of things we want to do while they are here. My mom is a major list maker which she passed on down to me and oddly enough I've already passed it on to Brighton. B made a to-do list months before Nana and G'Pops arrived so we could be ready when they got here. They included going to a special frozen yogurt shop, going to the new cupcake shop, baking chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with Nana, and going to see Yogi Bear at the Drive-in while eating candy (Don't you love how everything on the list had to do with sweets?). The crazy pic above is of all of us cramming in the car for the drive-in. We had to document it no matter how goofy the shot was. Well, we did all of the things on Brighton's list. In fact, we did all those things and more. We went to the duck pond and fed the ducks (top right shot), we went out to eat a ton, we flew kites, and we even had an after Christmas special dinner using our winter plates (top left pic). My dad shot a caribou and a moose a few months back and brought us a freezer full of meat so we feasted on yummy Alaskan animals while they were here. We had a great time. The second we dropped them off at the airport, Brighton lost it and couldn't stop crying the whole way home. She really loves her Nana and G'Pops and can't wait to see them again (and neither can we!).

New Year... New Me

So every year I make a few New Year's Resolutions but I never write them down so they get tossed to the way side. This year I thought I'd post them for all to see so I would be held a little more accountable. Here is what I came up with:

1. Post more on my blog (2-3 times a week)!

2. Bake Homemade bread every week

3. Run 2 half marathons

4. Study the scriptures (not read them...study them)

5. Play more with my kids

6. Be a more loving wife

7. Keep a cleaner house

8. Back off the sweets

9. Attend the temple monthly

10. Simplify my life

Now I know that sounds kind of ironic having all these other goals to keep me busy and make my life a little more chaotic than it needs to be when the last goal cancels everything else out but this past year has made me realize that I can fill my life up with crazy meaningless things to do or I can find the priorities and important things in my life and work on perfecting those. One of the talks at the October General Conference given by President Uchtdorf entitled Of Things That Matter Most changed me and made me become fully aware that if we work on the things that matter to us, we'll become happier in our lives. Read it. It's an amazing talk. Who knows how long I'll be able to keep up with these goals because one way or another, I tend to fall short of things, but I do know that as long as I've set these priorities in place, my life will be guided in the direction I want it to go. I hope you all have your resolutions ready and are pumped to take on a new year because I know I am!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

We had a great Christmas and we hope you all have a Happy New Year!

Porter wanted anything Toy Story so Santa gave him a Woody doll. Yes, it is a doll but it's a manly one, otherwise Kyle would have thrown it out.

Brighton has been talking about American Girl dolls for seriously months now and Santa must have gotten her letter because she got not one, but 2! Actually a young woman in the ward was kind enough to give Brighton her old doll that was barely touched. Add that to the one from Santa and she got hooked up! Anyway, we had a great Christmas and after all the presents were opened we were able to focus on Christ and have a peaceful day.